The first time he spoke with Kamo no Narisuke, he took a shallow wine-cup and composed:
ききわたるみたらしがはの水きよみそこのこころをけふぞみるべき
| kikiwataru mitarashigawa no mizu kiyomi soko no kokoro o kyō zo mirubeki | Listening, The River Mitarashi’s Waters are so pure That to the bottom of my heart I can see today. |
Kunimoto, the Governor of Tsu
Love
Left
恋せじと御手洗川に御祓して神うけつらんとおもほゆるかな
| koi seji to mitarashigawa ni oharaishite kami uketsuran to omohoyuru kana | I’ll not fall in love, and At the River Mitarashi Purify myself— Would the gods then accept me, I wonder! |
25
恋なれどそこにもすまぬひれはみづにごれりとおもほゆるかな
| koi naredo soko ni mo sumanu hire wa mizu nigoreri to omohoyuru kana | This is love, yet The deeps are all disturbed, with Fins the waters Clouding, I feel! |
26
こひわたる程のふかさにそめ川の色あさからじとおもほゆるかな
| koiwataru hodo no fukasa ni somekawa no iro asakaraji to omohoyuru kana | So long have I loved you that The depths of Dyers’ River have Lost their pale hues I feel! |
27
Right
おもふとて夕ぐれがたのながめをや人待つほどの恋といふらん
| omou tote yūguregata no nagame o ya hito matsu hodo no koi to iuran | Thinking of him As evening draws on, and I gaze on long rains falling; is Time pining for a man Being in love, I wonder? |
28
年の内にあまる月日の有りければかぞへのうちにははわぶるかな
| toshi no uchi ni amaru tsuki hi no arikereba kazoe no uchi ni haha waburu kana | Throughout the year The days and months mount up So Counting them My mother grieves! |
29
Composed for a picture of the Rinji Festival at the Kamo Shrine on a folding screen prepared for the entrance of a Junior Consort to the palace in the 6th year of Bunji (1190).
月さゆるみたらし河にかげみえてこほりにすれる山あゐの袖
| tsuki sayuru mitarashigawa ni kage miete kori ni sureru yama’ai no sode |
Clear, the moon, Upon the Mitarashi River Shines, seeming as A design of ice upon Indigo sleeves. |
Master of the Dowager Empress’ Household Office Toshinari
藤原俊成
When she had been forgotten by a man, she went to Kibune, and composed this on seeing fireflies flitting about by the Mitarashi River.
物思へば澤の螢も我身よりあくがれ出づる玉かとぞみる
| mono’omoFeba saFa no Fotaru mo wa ga mi yori akugare iduru tama ka to zo miru |
I’m at such a loss; Fireflies by the marsh: From my breast Wanders out My soul, or so it seems. |
Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部