Composed on fulling clothes
ひとりぬる寝覚にきくぞあはれなるふしみの里に衣うつこゑ
hitori nuru nezame ni kiku zo aware naru fushimi no sato ni koromo utsu koe | Sleeping solo On waking do I hear Most keenly, In the estate of Fushimi The sound of fulling clothes… |
Fulling clothes at an ancient estate
みよしのの山した風のさむきよをたれ故郷に衣うつらん
miyoshino no yamashita kaze no samuki yo o tare furusato ni koromo utsuran | In fair Yoshino The wind down the mountains Is chill at night— Who is it at this ancient estate That might be fulling clothes? |
夜をさむみね覚めてきけばなが月の有明の月に衣うつなり
yo o samumi nezamete kikeba nagatsuki no ariake no tsuki ni koromo utsu nari | On a night so chill On awakening, I hear, In the Longest Month, Beneath the dawning moon, The sound of fulling clothes… |
さよふけてなかばたけゆく月影にあかでや人の衣うつらん
sayo fukete nakaba takeyuku tsukikage ni akade ya hito no koromo utsuran | Brief night draws on, and From its height descends The moonlight, as Unfulfilled, perhaps, someone Seems to be fulling clothes? |
Fulling clothes before the moon
秋たけてよぶかき月の影みればあれたるやどに衣うつなり
aki takete yobukaki tsuki no kage mireba aretaru yado ni koromo utsu nari | With autumn at its height When deep within the night the moon’s Light I see, At a ruined house, The sound of fulling clothes… |
On giving a robe to a certain monk
野べみれば露霜さむみきりぎりすよるの衣のうすくやあるらん
nobe mireba tsuyujimo samumi kirigirisu yoru no koromo no usuku ya aruran | When I gaze upon the meadows, How cold the frosty dew upon The crickets Night gowns Seem so thin, do they not… |
Composed listening to crickets chirping one night in the Longest Month.
きりぎりすよはのころものうすきうへにいたくは霜のおかずもあらなん
kirigirisu yowa no koromo no usuki ue ni itaku wa shimo no okazu mo aranan | The crickets’ Night gowns are So thin, upon them Heavily, O, frost, I would you fall not! |
Composed on geese.
かりなきて秋風さむく成りにけりひとりやねなんよるの衣うすし
kari nakite akikaze samuku narinikeri hitori ya nenan yoru no koromo usushi | The geese are crying, and The autumn wind So chill has grown, Shall I, then, sleep alone In a scanty night robe? |
On cool clothing in the breeze at night.
natsu fukami omoi mo kakenu utatane no yoru no koromo ni akikaze zo fuku | In the depths of summer Unexpectedly, When dozing At night into my robe The autumn wind does blow! |
Robes scented with orange blossom incense in the night.
うたたねのよるのころもにかをるなり物おもふやどの軒のたち花
utatane no yoru no koromo ni kaoru nari mono’omou yado no noki no tachibana | In fitful doze At night my robe is Scented Gloomy thoughts fill my house With the orange blossom by the eaves. |
'Simply moving and elegant'