A poem from the Empress’ Poetry Competition held in the Kanpyō period.
住の江の岸による浪夜さへや夢の通ひ路人目よくらむ
suminoe no
kisi ni yoru nami
yoru saFe ya
yume no kayoFidi
Fitome yokuramu |
As to Suminoe’s
Shore rush the waves
Why every night
Upon the path of dreams
Do I hide from other’s eyes? |
Fujiwara no Toshiyuki
藤原敏行
Composed at the River Ōi.
水もなくみえこそわたれ大井河岸の紅葉は雨とふれども
midu mo naku
mie koso watare
oFowigaFa
kisi no momidi Fa
ame to Furedomo |
No water
To be seen around at
The River Ōi
Yet on the banks the scarlet leave
Do fall as rain… |
Fujiwara no Sadayori
藤原定頼
Two poems composed by Naga no imiki Okimaro, grieving at the sight of the bound pine.
磐代の岸の松が枝結びけむ人は帰りてまた見けむかも
ipasiro no
kisi no matu ga e
musubikemu
pito pa kaperite
mata mikemu kamo |
On Iwashiro’s
Shore, a pine’s branches
It seems he tied –
I wonder, will he return
And see them once more… |
Naga no Okimaro
長意吉麻呂
住吉の岸野の榛ににほふれどにほはぬ我れやにほひて居らむ
suminoe no
kishino no hari ni
niouredo
niohanu ware ya
nioiteoramu |
At Sumiyoshi, with
Alder growing on the banks
Is all dyed, yet
Will I, as yet unmarked,
Paint him with colour? |
竜田川岸の山吹咲きぬれば影より波ぞ折りはじめける
tatsutagawa
kishi no yamabuki
sakinureba
kage yori nami zo
orihajimekeru |
On Tatsuta River’s
Bank, the kerria
Has bloomed, so
From its face
Waves have begun to weave… |
Tsunemasa
経正
Upon meeting with Imperial Princess Shishi of the First Order (955-1015), they talked of times past and she composed:
袖にさへ秋のゆふべはしられけりきえしあさぢがつゆをかけつゝ
sode ni sae
aki no yûbe wa
shirarekeri
kieshi asaji ga
tsuyu wo kaketsutsu |
Even upon our sleeves
Does the autumn evening
Reveal itself;
The thatch, now gone,
Is ever dew-drenched. |
Imperial Consort, Princess Kishi (929-985)
'Simply moving and elegant'