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'
