Left
なつの夜は水やまされる天の河ながるる月のかげもとどめぬ
natsu no yo wa mizu ya masareru ama no kawa nagaruru tsuki no kage mo todomenu On a summer night
61[1]
Right
去年の夏鳴きふるしてし郭公それかあらぬかこゑのかはらぬ
kozo no natsu Last summer
62[2]
[1] A minor variant of this poem, with a headnote identifying it as being from this contest, is included in Shokugosenshū (IV: 214): 夏の夜は水まさればやあまのがはながるる月のかげもとどめぬ natsu no yo wa / mizu masareba ya / ama no kawa / nagaruru tsuki no / kage mo todomenu ‘On a summer night / Perhaps, because the waters are so fine / Of the River of Heaven? / Drifting, the moon’s / Face, too, tarries not.’
[2] Kokinshū III: 159/Shinsen man’yōshū 63
Left
水のうへにあやおりみだる春雨や山のみどりをなべてそむらん
mizu no ue ni aya orimidaru harusame ya yama no midori o nabete somuran Upon the waters
19[1]
Right
色ふかくみる野辺だにも常ならば春は行くともかたみならまし
iro fukaku miru nobe dani mo tsune naraba haru wa yuku tomo katami naramashi Deep the hues
20[2]
[1] Shinsen man’yōshū 1/Kokin rokujō I: 460/A minor variant of this poem also occurs in Shinkokinshū (I: 65), where it is attributed to Ise: 水のおもにあやおりみだる春雨や山のみどりをなべてそむらん mizu no omo ni / aya orimidaru / harusame ya / yama no midori o / nabete somuran ‘Upon the water’s surface / A confusing pattern paints / The rain of spring— / Will it now the mountains / All dye with green, I wonder?’
[2] Shinchokusenshū II: 89
A poem from the Poetry Contest held by the Empress Dowager during the Reign of the Kanpyō Emperor.
おしなべて五月のそらを見渡せば草葉も水もみどりなりけり
oshinabete satsuki no sora o miwataseba kusaba mo mizu mo midori narikeri When the entire
Anonymous
Round Twelve
Left
冬の夜の月はとほくやわたりけんかげみしみづのまづしこほれば
fuyu no yo no tsuki wa tōku ya watariken kage mishi mizu no mazu shi kōreba On a winter’s night
22
Right
ながれくるみづこほりぬる冬さへやなほうき草のあとはさだめぬ
nagarekuru mizu kōrinuru fuyu sae ya nao ukikusa no ato wa sadamenu Flowing down
23
つらしともいざやいかがはいはし水あふせまだきにたゆる心は
tsurashi to mo iza ya ikaga wa iwashimizu ause madaki ni tayuru kokoro wa How cruel!
Kazusa, in service to the Empress
In reply
世世ふともたえじとぞ思ふ神がきの岩ねをくぐる水の心は
yo yo futomo taeji to zo omou kamigaki no iwane o kuguru mizu no kokoro wa Age upon age may pass, yet
24
This match took place when, hearing that his courtiers were composing poetry, His Majesty ordered them to compose love poems to the ladies in attendance.
おもひあまりいかでもらさんおく山の岩かきこむる谷の下みづ
omoi’amari ikade morasan okuyama no iwa kakikomuru tani no shitamizu My passion’s full, so
Major Counsellor Kinzane
In reply
いかなれば音にのみきく山川の浅きにしもはこころよすらん
ika nareba oto ni nomi kiku yamakawa no asaki ni shimo wa kokoro yosuran For some reason,
[Nakako,] The Suō Handmaid
Icicles
山ざとは谷の下水つららゐていはうつ浪の音だにもせず
yamazato wa tani no shitamizu tsurara ite iwa utsu nami no oto dani mo sezu At a mountain retreat
Morotoki
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
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
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
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
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
29
Winter
Left
冬くれば紅葉ふりしく神無月佐保の山辺はむべもりぬらん
fuyu kureba momiji furishiku kaminazuki saho no yamabe wa mube morinuran When the winter comes,
19
冬ごもりかれてみゆらん梅がえは今はた花の春はにほはん
fuyugomori karete miyuran ume ga e wa ima hata hana no haru wa niowan Sealed in winter, and
20
冬みれば水もまかせぬ小山田にいつすき返し種をまきけん
fuyu mireba mizu mo makasenu oyamada ni itsu sukikaeshi tane o makiken ‘Tis winter, I see, so
21
Right
時雨降る宿にすまへば冬の夜に錦とみゆる木木の花かな
shigure furu yado ni sumaeba fuyu no yo ni nishiki to miyuru kigi no hana kana Showers fall
22
ゆふだすき神の社にかけつればしもし降るにもたのもしきかな
yūdasuki kami no yashiro ni kaketsureba shimo shi furu ni mo tanomashiki kana Sacred mulberry cords
23
白雲のふたへふりしくときは山うらはへとしはみどりなりけれ
shiragumo no futae furishiku tokiwa yama ura hae toshi wa midori narikere Clouds of white
24
たつたがはあきはみづなくあせななむあかぬもみぢのながるればをし[1]
tatsutagawa aki wa mizu naku asena namu akanu momiji no nagarureba oshi The river Tatsuta
13
いなづまはあるかなきかに見ゆれどもあきのたのみはほにぞいでける
inazuma wa aru ka naki ka ni miyuredomo aki no tanomi wa ho ni zo idekeru A flash of lightning:
14
[1] This poem was included in Gosenshū (VII: 416).
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