On flowering grasses before the moon, when he presented a Fifty Poem Sequence.
ふるさとのもとあらのこはぎさきしよりよなよな庭の月ぞうつろふ
| furusato no motoara no kohagi sakishi yori yonayona niwa no tsuki zo utsurou | At my ancient home Since the sparse bush clover Bloomed, Night after night upon the garden Shines the moon![i] |
The Regent and Palace Minister
[i] An allusive variation on KKS XIV: 694.
Blossom falls wordlessly from the trees, while the waters flow into the souless pond.
はなも水も心なぎさやいかならむ庭に浪たつはるの木のもと
| hana mo mizu mo kokoro nagisa ya ikanaramu niwa ni nami tatsu haru no ko no moto | Both the blossoms and the waters, too, Touch the shores of my heart— Why should that be? At my estate the breaking waves Of spring wash the bases of the trees. |
Jien
Winter Poems Twenty Rounds
Left
かきくもりあられふりしけ白玉をしける庭とも人の見るがに
| kakikumori arare furishike shiratama o shikeru niwa to mo hito no miru gani | Clouds rush in Dropping scattered hailstones; Pearl Strewn, my garden I would that he would see… |
119
Right
天の河ふゆは空までこほるらし石間にたぎつ音だにもせず
| ama no kawa fuyu wa sora made kōrurashi iwama ni tagitsu oto dani mo sezu | The River of Heaven in Winter: the very skies Seem frozen, with Between the rocky crags rushing No sound at all. |
120
Left
あすは又けふをばこぞといひすててをしみしものとおもひだにせじ
| asu wa mata kyō o ba kozo to iisutete oshimishi mono to omoi dani seji | Tomorrow, once again Will be as today I’ll say easily and All those things that I regretted- I’ll not even think of them! |
Lord Sueyoshi
2080
Right
ふゆのそらわびつつけふになりにけりあとなきにはのゆきとみながら
| fuyu no sora wabitsutsu kyō ni narinikeri ato naki niwa no yuki to minagara | The winter sky is Ever a source of grief-today Has just turned out that way, While my gardens trackless Snow fills my gaze. |
Ienaga
2081
Judgement: I wonder how the central ‘I’ll say easily’ leads in to the concluding section. The Right’s poem is a little better, I’d say.
Composed on the conception of being buried in frosty fallen leaves.
落ちつもる庭の木の葉を夜のほどにはらひてけりと見する朝霜
| otitumoru niwa no ko no Fa wo yo no hodo ni FaraFitekeri to misuru asasimo | Fallen, piled high at My estate, the leaves from the trees Within the space of a single night Have been swept away, It seems, by the morning frost. |
Anonymous
Cranes in a garden (庭上鶴馴)
Left
庭の面に人になれたるあしたづはよはひをきみにゆづるなるべし
| niwa no omo ni hito ni naretaru ashitazu wa yowai o kimi ni yuzurunarubeshi | Upon this garden’s face stands, Accustomed to folk, A crane; His years to my Lord Will he bestow, no doubt! |
A Court Lady
31
Right
千とせふるやどのけしきやしるからん汀のたづのなれにけるかな
| chitose furu yado no keshiki ya shirukaran migiwa no tazu no narenikeru kana | Is it that a thousand years old This dwelling does appear? For to the muddy Water’s edge the cranes Have become accustomed! |
A Court Lady
32
