First snow seen at dawn (暁見初雪)
Left
鏡山あか月方に見わたせばあまぎりあひて初雪ぞふる
kagamiyama
akatsukikata ni
miwataseba
amagiri aite
hatsuyuki zo furu | When Mirror Mountain
At the edge of dawn
I do survey
Blended with the misting rain is
The first fall of snow. |
Fujiwara no Akinobu, Secretary of Music
27
Right
あさぼらけまだふみ分けぬ初雪にいづれを道とわきぞかねつる
asaborake
mada fumiwakenu
hatsuyuki ni
izure o michi to
waki zo kanetsuru | By dawn’s first light
As yet no feet have marked
This first fall of snow;
How long can the path
Remain untrodden? |
Akichika, Ranked without office
28
A mountain home concealed by haze (霞隔山家)
Left
おぼつかなとなりもみえず成りにけり霞へだつる村雲のさと
obotsukana
tonari mo miezu
narinikeri
kasumi hedatsuru
muragumo no sato | All is hidden!
My neighbours invisible
Have become;
The hazes form a barrier in
This cloud-clustered hamlet… |
Kaya no Nuki
5
Right
春霞八重立ちぬれば尋ねゆく道もわかれずくらはしのさと
harugasumi
yae tachinureba
tazuneyuku
michi mo wakarezu
kurahashi no sato | The spring hazes
Arise eightfold, so
Though I go enquire
No one knows the way to
The estate at Kurahashi. |
Koretsune
6
Wang Zhaojun 王昭君
道すがらなぐさむやとてひくことのをごとに玉をぬくなみだかな
michi sugara
nagusamu ya tote
hiku koto no
ogoto ni tama o
nuku namida kana | On the road and
Thinking it might console me
Plucking upon
My lute, where gemstone
Teardrops were strung! |
Daishin
Dwarf Bamboo 小篠
葉をしげみ道見えずとてやすらへばそよそよといふをざさ原かな
ha o shigemi
michi miezu tote
yasuraeba
soyosoyo to iu
ozasawara kana | So lush the leaves
My way is hidden, I think –
And when I take my ease a while
‘That’s right! That’s right!’ rustle
The dwarf bamboo groves! |
Kanemasa
Groves 原
道とほみ日も夕ぐれになりぬればそのはらまでとさしてこそゆけ
michi tōmi
hi mo yūgure ni
narinureba
sonohara made to
sashite koso yuke | My road is yet long, and
The sun toward twilight
Does go, so
Just as far as Sonohara
Let it still shine on! |
Daishin
Love on Parting 別恋
わかれ行く人にもそはぬ涙さへとまらぬたびの道にもあるかな
wakare yuku
hito ni mo sowanu
namida sae
tomaranu tabi no
michi ni mo aru kana | Parting ever more
Her closeness gone with
Even tears
Endless as the path
She travels on her way! |
Tadafusa
Love on Parting 別恋
あけがたの袖のけしきの露けさに道のしづくはおもひやりなん
akegata no
sode no keshiki no
tsuyu kesa ni
michi no shizuku wa
omoiyarinan | With the dawning
My sleeves’ appearance is
Dew-drenched this morning;
The droplets on the path
Fill my thoughts with gloomy longing. |
Akinaka
Love Separated by Distant Roads 隔遠路恋
おもひあまりゆけばはるけき玉ぼこの道のそらにもまどふ比かな
omoiamari
yukeba harukeki
tamaboko no
michi no sora ni
madou koro kana | Love-driven to desperation,
When I go, upon the distant
Jewelled-spear straight
Road within the skies
Will I ever lose my way! |
Daishin
Love Separated by Distant Roads 隔遠路恋
我がこひは心づくしのみちとほみゆきめぐりてもいつかあふべき
wa ga koi wa
kokorozukushi no
michi tōmi
yukimeguritemo
itsuka aubeki | My love does
Drain my heart;
On distant roads
He travels on, yet
When is it we will meet? |
Higo
Love Separated by Distant Roads 隔遠路恋
恋ひしなでいきの松原いきたりとつげだにやらぬ道のはるけさ
koishinade
iki no matsubara
ikitari to
tsuge dani yaranu
michi no harukesa | I’ll not die of love, but
As the pine groves at Iki
Live on –
Even that, I cannot proclaim,
So long is the road between us… |
Akinaka
'Simply moving and elegant'