Composed when Princess Nukata went to Ōmi.
三輪山をしかも隠すか雲だにも心あらなも隠さふべしや
miwayama wo
sikamo kakusu ka
kumo dani mo
kokoro ara na mo
kakusapubesi ya |
Mount Miwa,
Why are you concealed?
Had the clouds but
Sense, I wish
They would hide you not! |
Princess Nukata
額田王
熟田津に船乗りせむと月待てば潮もかなひぬ今は漕ぎ出でな
nigitatu ni
puna norisemu to
tuki mateba
sipo mo kanapinu
ima pa kogi’ide na |
From Nigitatsu
Would we set sail, and
Did await the moon, but
With the tides against us
Now must we go a’rowing! |
Princess Nukata
額田王
A poem composed on the occasion of an Imperial Visit to the hot springs of Kii province.
莫囂円隣之大相七兄爪謁気我が背子がい立たせりけむ厳橿が本
sidumarisi
uranami sawaku
wa ga seko ga
itataserikemu
itu kasi ga moto |
Quietened
Have the rowdy breakers in the bay;
My dear one
Stood, no doubt,
At the foot of the sacred oak! |
Princess Nukata
額田王
When His Majesty, the Emperor [Tenchi], asked the Grand Minister, Lord Fujiwara [no Kamatari], which was superior: the myriad hued flowers of spring or the thousand leaves of autumn, Princess Nukata settled the matter with this poem.
冬こもり 春さり來れば 鳴かずありし 鳥も來鳴きぬ 咲かずありし 花も咲けれど 山を茂み 入りても取らず 草深み 取りても見ず 秋山の 木の葉を見ては 黄葉をば 取りてぞ偲ふ 靑きをば 置きてぞ嘆く そこし恨めし 秋山ぞ吾は
puyu kömori
paru sarikureba
nakazu arisi
töri mo ki nakinu
sakazarisi
pana mo sakeredö
yama wo simi
irite mo torazu
kusa pukami
torite mo mizu
akiyama nö
ko nö pa wo mite pa
momiti wo ba
torite zö sinopu
awoki wo ba
okite zö nagëku
sökö si uramesi
akiyama zö are pa |
Buried by winter,
When spring comes to pass,
The silent
Birds burst into song;
The bloomless
Flowers burst out, but
The mountains are so lush,
One cannot make one’s way;
The grasses are so thick,
An outstretched hand is lost;
On an autumn mountain,
One sees trees’ leaves:
The yellow leaves,
To take for a keepsake;
Green ones
To leave behind in sorrow,
Though I hate to do it:
It’s the autumn mountains for me! |
'Simply moving and elegant'