Left
あまのがはわたりてのちぞたなばたのふかきこころもおもひしるらむ
| ama no gawa watarite nochi zo tanabata no fukaki kokoro mo omoishiruramu | After the River of Heaven She has crossed, The Weaver Maid The depths of her heart’s Feelings seems to know too well. |
17
Right (Win)
あふよなきたなばたなればいまはとてかへるくもぢにまどはれしかな
| au yo naki tanabata nareba ima wa tote kaeru kumoji ni madowareshi kana | Were there no night’s meeting For the Weaver Maid, then Now, Upon her homeward path among the clouds Would she have wandered, lost! |
18
Topic unknown.
ゆらのとをわたるふな人かぢをたえ行へもしらぬ恋のみちかな
| yura no to o wataru funabito kaji o tae yukue mo shiranu koi no michi kana | In the Yura strait A ferryman a’crossing Rudderless I know not whither bound am I On this path of love! |
Sone no Yoshitada
A poem from the Poetry Contest held by the Empress Dowager during the Reign of the Kanpyō Emperor.
住の江のきしによる波夜さへや夢のかよひ路人めよくらむ
| suminoe no kisi ni yoru nami yoru saFe ya yume no kayoFidi Fitome yokuramu | On Suminoe’s Shore break waves; Even at night Upon the path of dreams Can we avoid others’ prying eyes? |
Lord Fujiwara no Toshiyuki
During the period when Izumi Shiku had accompanied Yasumasa to Tango, when there was a poetry match in the capital and Handmaid Koshikibu was selected as one of the poets, Lord Sadayori came to her chamber at the palace and went on at her, asking, ‘How are your poems coming along? Will you be sending them to your mother in Tango? Has your messenger not returned yet?’ and really seemed very unsettled about everything, so she composed this as a playful way of preventing him from going himself.
おほえ山いくのの道のとほければまだふみもみずあまのはしだて
| oFoeyama ikuno no miti no toFokereba mada Fumi mo miezu ama no Fasidate | In Ōeyama The path to Ikuno Lies far away, so I’ve not set foot upon it, or had a letter from Ama-no-Hashidate! |
Handmaid Koshikibu
A question and response poem.
物不念 道行去毛 青山乎 振放見者 茵花 香未通女 桜花 盛未通女 汝乎曽母 吾丹依云 吾 毛曽 汝丹依云 荒山毛 人師依者 余所 留跡序云 汝心勤
物思はず 道行く行くも 青山を 振り放け見れば つつじ花 にほえ娘子 桜花 栄え娘子 汝れをぞも 我れに寄すといふ 我れをもぞ 汝れに寄すといふ 荒山も 人し寄すれば 寄そるとぞいふ 汝が心ゆめ
| mono’omowazu michi yukuyuku mo aoyama o furisakemireba tsutsujibana nioe otome sakurabana hae otome nare o somo ware ni yosu to iu ware o mo nare ni yosu to iu arayama mo hito shi yosureba yosuru to zo iu na ga kokoroyume | Unburdened by gloomy thoughts Along the path I went on and on, To the green-growing mountain, When in the distance I saw An azalea Fair bright maiden, A cherry blossom Glorious maiden: O, you, truly Give your heart to me; And I, too, Will give my heart to you; Upon the wild mountain Folk give their hearts To one another, so Never will I abandon you! |
Left
常盤なる松のみどりも春くれば今一しほの色まさりけり
| tokiwa naru matsu no midori mo haru kureba ima hitoshio no iro masarikeri | When to the eternal Pine’s green Spring does come, Now all the more vibrant Is its hue! |
39[1]
Right
くる春にあはむことこそかたからめ過行く方におくれずもがな
| kuru haru ni awamu koto koso katakarame sugiyuku kata ni okurezu mogana | With arriving spring To meet is truly Hard, indeed, but On the path it take passing by I would not have it linger! |
40
[1] Kokinshū I: 24, attributed to Minamoto no Muneyuki.
First snow seen at dawn (暁見初雪)
Left
鏡山あか月方に見わたせばあまぎりあひて初雪ぞふる
| kagamiyama akatsukikata ni miwataseba amagiri aite hatsuyuki zo furu | When Mirror Mountain At the edge of dawn I do survey Blended with the misting rain is The first fall of snow. |
Fujiwara no Akinobu, Secretary of Music
27
Right
あさぼらけまだふみ分けぬ初雪にいづれを道とわきぞかねつる
| asaborake mada fumiwakenu hatsuyuki ni izure o michi to waki zo kanetsuru | By dawn’s first light As yet no feet have marked This first fall of snow; How long can the path Remain untrodden? |
Akichika, Ranked without office
28