玉さかに相坂山の真葛原まだうらわかし恨みはてじな
tamasaka ni
aisakayama no
makuzuwara
mada urawakashi
uramihateji na | By chance,
On Aisaka Mountain
The fields of arrowroot are
Still so young—
O, do not end up despising them! |
Lady Tsu, in service to the Former Kamo Virgin
33
In reply.
夏山の下はふくずのうらわかみまだきに露の心おくらん
natsuyama no
shita hau kuzu no
urawakami
madaki ni tsuyu no
kokoro okuran | On the summer mountains
The arrowroot, creeping beneath,
Seems so young that
Swiftly will the dewdrops
Fall upon its heart. |
The Minister of Justice
34
Round Thirteen
Left
うらちかくふりくる雪はしら波のすゑの松山こすかとぞみる
ura chikaku
furikuru yuki wa
shiranami no
sue no matsuyama
kosu ka to zo miru | Close by the beach
The snow comes falling upon
The whitecaps—that
The pine-topped peak of Sue
The might o’ercome it does appear! |
Fujiwara no Okikaze
24
Right
みよしのの山の白雪つもるらしふる里さむく成りまさるなり
miyoshino no
yama no shirayuki
tsumorurashi
furusato samuku
narimasaru nari | On fair Yoshino
Mountain white snow fall
Drifts high, it seems,
For in this ancient place the chill
Grows ever stronger. |
Sakanoue no Korenori
25[1]
[1] Kokinshū VI: 325: Composed at the place he was staying when he had gone to the Nara capital.
Winter
Round Eleven
Left
霜のうへにふる初雪の朝氷とけむほどこそひさしかりけれ
shimo no ue ni
furu hatsuyuki no
asagōri
tokemu hodo koso
hisashikarikere | Upon the frosts
Falls first snow, turning
Icy in the morning;
The time when it will melt is
Far away, indeed. |
20[1]
Right (Win)
いつのまにふりつもりけんみよしのの山のかひよりくづれ落つる雪
itsu no ma ni
furitsumoriken
miyoshino no
yama no kai yori
kuzure’otsuru yuki | All of a sudden
Has it fallen and piled high
In fair Yoshino
The mountain passes are
Blocked by fallen snow. |
21
[1] Kokin rokujō I: 696
Round Six
Left
夏山のみねのこずゑのたかければなく郭公こゑかはるかな
natsuyama no
mine no kozue no
takakereba
naku hototogisu
koe kawaru kana | The summer mountain
Peaks have treetops
So high, that
The crying cuckoo’s
Calls stand for them. |
11
Right (Win)
おほあらきのもりの下草茂りあひてふかくも夏のなりにけるかな
ōaraki no
mori no shitagusa
moriaite
fukaku mo natsu no
narinikeru kana | In Ōaraki
Forest the undergrowth
Has grown so thick, that
Deep summer is
Surely here! |
Mitsune
12
Spring
Round 1
Left
やま風にとくる氷のひまごとにうち出づる浪や春の初花
yamakaze ni
tokuru kōri no
hima goto ni
uchi’izuru nami ya
haru no hatsuhana | With the mountain breeze
The melting ice from
Every crack
Bursts out in waves, perhaps
These are the first blooms of spring? |
Minamoto no Maszumi
1[1]
Right (Win)
春霞たつひの風のいとなれや滝のをとけて玉とみだるる
harugasumi
tatsu hi no kaze no
ito nare ya
taki no o tokete
tama to midaruru | The haze of spring
Arises with the breeze this day, so
Will its streamers with
The melting waterfall’s threaded
Jewels become confused? |
2
[1] Kokin rokujo I: 5
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,
Scarlet leaves, falling and scattering
In the Godless Month,
Upon the slopes of Mount Saho,
Indeed, are at their finest. |
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
All withered seeming,
The plum tree’s branches,
Now, for sure, the blossoms’
Spring will scent. |
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
There’s no water to draw for
The little mountain paddies:
O, when might I till them, and
Sow my seeds, I wonder? |
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
Upon the house where I do dwell, so
Upon a winter’s night
As brocade do seem
The blossoming trees! |
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
Around the God’s shrine
Are hung, so
Even amidst the frost fall,
The future does seem bright! |
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
Lie scattered, twofold, upon
The unchanging mountain:
Stretching out behind, the year
Is simply green. |
24
Autumn
Left
秋の夜の有明にみれど久堅の月のかつらはうつろはぬかな
aki no yo no
ariake ni miredo
hisakata no
tsuki no katsura wa
utsurouwanu kana | An autumn night’s
Dawn I see, yet
The eternal
Moon’s silver trees
Show no sign of fading! |
13
秋萩の花咲く比の白露は下ばのためとわきて置くべし
aki hagi no
hana saku koro no
shiratsuyu wa
shitaba no tame to
wakite okubeshi | In autumn, the bush clover
Flowers bloom—just then
Silver dewdrops
For the under-leaves
Do fall, marking every one. |
14
秋風はいなばもそよとふきつめりかりみる程と成りやしぬらん
akikaze wa
inaba mo soyo to
fukitsumeri
kari miru hodo to
nari ya shinuran | The autumn breeze
Seems to rustle the rice stalks
As it blows;
Seeing if ‘tis time to reap them—
Is that what it is, I wonder? |
15
Right
銀河とわたる舟は花薄ほにいづるほどぞかげもみゆべき
ama no kawa
towataru fune wa
hanasusuki
ho ni izuru hodo zo
kage mo miyubeki | Across the River of Heaven
A boat goes ferrying:
When the silver grass
Ears burst into bloom,
Can its shape be seen. |
16
女郎花さがの花をば色ながら秋をさかりといはれずもがな
ominaeshi
saga no hana oba
iro nagara
aki o sakari to
iwarezu mogana | Maidenflowers:
Blossoms from Saga
Reveal their hues, and
In autumn are most fine—that
Goes without saying! |
17
小男鹿の朝たつ霧にうりふ山嶺の梢は色こかりけり
saoshika no
asa tatsu kiri ni
urifuyama
mine no kozue wa
iro kokarikeri | Stags
Within the rising morning mist on
Urifu Moutain, where
The treetops on the peak
Have taken darker hues. |
18
Winter moonlight at a mountain retreat.
やまおろしのけしきばかりやふゆならむみやこなりせば秋のよの月
yama’oroshi no
keshiki bakari ya
fuyu naramu
miyako nariseba
aki no yo no tsuki | The wind howling down the mountain
Simply sets a scene of
Seeming winter, but
Were I in the capital,
An autumn night’s moon, would this be… |
Topic unknown.
いつしかと山の桜もわがごとく年のこなたにはるをまつらん
itusika to
yama no sakura mo
wa ga gotoku
tosi no konata ni
Faru o maturan | Eagerly
The mountain cherries
Just as I,
On this side of the year’s end
Seem to await the springtime. |
Anonymous
Envoy
石見の海打歌の山の木の間より我が振る袖を妹見つらむか
ipami no umi
ututa no yama no
ko no ma yori
wa ga puru sode wo
imo mituramu ka | By the sea at Iwami,
On Utsuta Mountain
From between the trees
I wave my sleeves –
Will my darling glimpse them, I wonder? |
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro
'Simply moving and elegant'