On the 13th night of the Ninth Month.
今宵はと心え顔に澄む月の光もてなす菊の白露
koyoi wa to
kokoro egao ni
sumu tsuki no
hikari motenasu
kiku no shiratsuyu
“Tonight is it!”
Knowingly
The limpid moon’s
Light garlands
Silver dewfall on the chrysanthemums.
Saigyō
西行
When he was composing a large number of poems about the moon.
なかなかにときどき雲のかかるこそ月をもてなす飾りなりけれ
nakanaka ni
tokidoki kumo no
kakaru koso
tsuki o motenasu
kazari narikere
Truly
On occasion the clouds
Do drape
In garlands on the moon
And do decorate it!
Saigyō
西行
Said to be composed at Ryūmon.
瀬を早み宮滝川を渡り行けば心の底の澄む心地する
se o hayami
miyatakegawa o
watari yukeba
kokoro no soko no
sumu kokochi suru
The rapids run so fast
On the River Miyatake, that
Crossing it,
To my heart’s depths
Brings a feeling of freshness.
Saigyō
西行
[One of] Ten poems lamenting his circumstances.
いざさらば盛り思ふもほどもあらじ藐姑射が峯の花にむつれし
iza saraba
sakari omou mo
hodo mo araji
hakoya ga mine ni
hana ni mutsureshi
So, then, so be it!
To reach full bloom, I feel,
Time I lack, but
Atop Hakoya peak
The flowers were dear to me, indeed…
Saigyō
西行
刈り残す水の真菰に隱ろへてかげもち顔に鳴く蛙かな
karinokosu
mizu no makomo ni
kakuroete
kagemochigao ni
naku kawazu kana
Unreaped remnants
Of wild rice in the water
Conceal
The contentedly
Croaking frogs!
Saigyō
This poem is also Sankashū 1018.
Topic unknown.
むつのくの奥ゆかしくぞ思ほゆる壺の石文そとの浜風
mutunoku no
oku yukasiku zo
omoFoyuru
tubo no isibumi
soto no Famakaze
Michinoku’s
Heart, I long
For in
Tsubo-no-ishibumi, where
The wind blows from off the beach.
Saigyō
On the twentieth day of the Tenth Month, when I had gone to Hiraizumi, the snow was falling and stormy winds were blowing hard, and it was most extraordinarily desolate. Nevertheless, I wanted to see the River Robe as soon as possible and went there to take a look. When I arrived on the river bank, I got the feeling I was gazing upon something most different from the norm, when wandering near Koromo Castle. The riverbank was covered with ice, and it was particularly moving.
とりわきて心もしみてさえぞわたる衣河みにきたるけふしも
toriwakite
kokoro mo shimite
sae zo wataru
koromogawa
mi ni kitaru kyō shimo
How deeply
Sunk within my heart
Is the frost across
The River Robe;
Especially on this day I have come to gaze upon it!
Saigyō
西行
Composed on examining his own heart.
やみはれて心のそらにすむ月はにしの山べやちかくなるらん
yami harete
kokoro no sora ni
sumu tsuki wa
nishi no yamabe ya
chikaku naruran
Darkness has lifted and
In the sky that is my heart
Dwells the moon–
To the western mountains’ edge
It does, perhaps, draw near.
The Monk Saigyō
西行
His reply:
たちいらで雲まをわけし月かげはまたぬけしきやそらにみえけん
tachi irade
kumoma o wakeshi
tsuki kage wa
matanu keshiki ya
sora ni mieken
Not entering in, but
Passing ‘tween the clouds,
The moonlight,
That you had failed to wait,
Saw from the skies, perhaps?
The Monk Saigyō
西行
Composed on seeing the moon, when he had gone to Tsukiyomi Shrine in Ise on a pilgrimage.
さやかなるわしのたかねの雲井よりかげやはらぐる月よみのもり
sayakanaru
washi no takane no
kumoi yori
kage yawaraguru
tsukiyomi no mori
How clear,
From the eagles’ lofty peak
Through the clouds
A gentle light upon
The forest of Tsukiyomi.
The Monk Saigyō
西行
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'Simply moving and elegant'