Love Separated by Distant Roads 隔遠路恋
白雲の八重なる山はかさぬともこころは空にかよへとほづま
| shiragumo no yae naru yama wa kasanu tomo kokoro wa sora ni kayoe tōzuma | Clouds of white, Eightfold upon the mountains Do not lie, yet My heart, into the skies Fly back and forth, to my distant love! |
Nakazane
Kindling 薪
おく山のならひとなればあなしげの雪よりさきに薪こりつめ
| oku yama no narai to nareba ana shige no yuki yori saki ni takigi koritsume | Deep with the mountains, A custom it has become, so Before the fearful fall of Snow does come, Go cut kindling! |
Nakazane
A poem from a poetry competition held by Her Majesty, the Empress, during the Kanpyō period.
吹風と谷の水としなかりせば深山がくれの花を見ましや
| Fuku kaze to tani no midu to si nakariseba miyama gakure no Fana wo mimasi ya | The gusting wind and The valley’s waters Were there none, then Hidden in the mountains’ depths These blossoms – would any wish to see them? |
Tsurayuki
A poem from a poetry competition held by Her Majesty, the Empress, during the Kanpyō period.
霞立春の山辺はとをけれど吹くる風は花の香ぞする
| kasumi tatu Faru no yamabe Fa towokeredo Fukikuru kaze Fa Fana no ka zo suru | Hazes rise Round the mountains’ sides, So far away, and yet The gusting breeze comes Bearing the scent of blossom. |
Ariwara no Motokata
A poem from a poetry competition held by Her Majesty, the Empress, during the Kanpyō period.
春霞色のちぐさに見えつるはたなびく山の花のかげかも
| Farugasumi iro no tigusa ni mieturu Fa tanabiku yama no Fana no kage kamo | The haze of spring has Countless hues It does appear; Streaming across the mountains with The blossoms’ glow. |
Fujiwara no Okikaze
When he had gone to the northern hills to view the blossom, he sent this to the residence of the Un’rin-in Prince.[1]
いざけふは春の山辺にまじりなむ暮れなばなげの花の影かは
| iza keFu Fa Faru no yamabe ni mazirinamu kurenaba nage no Fana no kage ka Fa | So, on this day Into the springtime mountains Let us tread! For even should dusk fall, brief Would the blossoms glow be? Surely not! |
Sosei
[1] Imperial Prince Tsuneyasu 常康親王 (?-869), the seventh son of Emperor Ninmyō.
Composed on plucked cherry blossom.
誰しかも尋めておりつる春霞立かくす覧山のさくらを
| tare sika mo tomete orituru Farugasumi tatikakusuramu yama no sakura wo | Who can it be Has sought and plucked, In the haze of spring Concealed upon The mountains, these cherries? |
Tsurayuki
Spring Dawn
あづさ弓はるかにみれば山のはによこ雲わたるあけぼののそら
| azusayumi haruka ni mireba yama no ha ni yokogumo wataru akebono no sora | A catalpa bow Seen in the distance: Across the mountains’ edge Trail streaks of cloud in The sky at dawn. |
Higo
Spring Dawn
山のはのよこ雲ばかりわたりつつみどりにみゆるあけぼのの空
| yama no ha no yokogumo bakari wataritsutsu midori ni miyuru akebono no sora | The mountains’ edge is Simply streaked with cloud, Ever trailing ‘cross; Verdant green does seem The sky at dawn. |
Kanemasa
Left (Win)
山深み歎きこる男のをのれのみ苦しくまどふ恋の道かな
| yama fukami nageki koru o no onore nomi kurushiku madou koi no michi kana | Deep within the mountains Felling trees, a woodsman’s Axe, my grief Leaves me in pained confusion On the paths of love… |
Lord Sada’ie
1187
Right
山人の帰る家路を思ふにも逢はぬ歎きぞ休むまもなき
| yamabito no kaeru ieji o omou ni mo awanu nageki zo yasumu ma mo naki | A mountain man, Homeward bound, Is in my thoughts, but Unable to meet with you grief Gives me no respite. |
Ietaka
1188
Left and Right together state: no faults to mention.
In judgement: the Left has a profound conception of love. The Right’s ‘homeward bound’ (kaeru ieji) and ‘unable to meet with you grief’ (awanu nageki) are extremely difficult to grasp, I think. The Left should win.