Composed on early summer rain, while at the estate of Minister of the Emperor’s Household Tsunenaga at Katsurayama.
梅雨は見えし小笹の原もなしあさかの沼の心地のみして
samidare Fa
miesi wozasa no
Fara mo nasi
asaka no numa no
kokoti nomi site
Summer showers
Have I seen, but broad-leaved bamboo
Groves are there none;
Asaka marsh is
Simply what this feels like!
Fujiwara no Norinaga
藤原範永
五月雨は水上まさる泉川笠置の山も雲隠れつつ
samidare wa
minakami masaru
izumigawa
kasaki no yama mo
kumogakuretsutsu
In the drizzling rain
The waters are high
Upon the River Izumi;
Mount Kasagi, too,
Is hidden by the clouds.
Fujiwara no Shunzei
藤原俊成
真菰草高瀬の淀に茂れども末葉も見えぬ五月雨のころ
makomogusa
takase no yodo ni
shigeredomo
sueba mo mienu
samidare no koro
The rushes
Where the Yodo meets Takase
Are lush, indeed, yet
The fronds are hidden
In this time of showers…
Taikenmon’in horikawa
待賢門院堀河
いかにして真菰を刈らむ五月雨に高瀬の淀も水まさりけり
ika ni shite
makomo o karamu
samidare ni
takase no yodo mo
mizu masarikeri
What am I to do?
I would reap rushes
In the rain
Where the Yodo meets Takase,
But the waters have risen high…
Minamoto no Morotoki
源師時
五月雨に畔の細道水深み田中の里は人ぞ通はぬ
samidare ni
aze no Fosomiti
midu Fukami
tanaka no sato Fa
Fito zo kayoFanu
In the drizzle
Above the narrow paths between the paddies
So deep is the water that
The dwelling within the rice fields
Is visited by no one at all…
五月雨は宿につく間の菖蒲草軒の雫に枯れしとぞ思ふ
samidare wa
yado ni tsuku ma no
ayamegusa
noki no shizuku ni
kareshi to zo omou
When the showers
Touch my roof
The sweet-flags by
Droplets on the eaves
Are all dried up, I feel!
Ōe no Masafusa
Summer Garb (夏衣)
五月雨にぬれにけらしな夏衣ひとへひがきにかけてほさなん
samidare ni
nurenikerashi na
natsugoromo
hitoe higaki ni
kakete hosanan
By summer showers
Does seem drenched
This summer garb:
A single layer upon the cypress fence –
Hanging there to dry…
Tadafusa
五月雨に水越えにけり沢田川くに宮人の渡す高橋
samidare ni
mizu koenikeri
sawadagawa
kunimiyabito no
watasu takahashi
In the showers
Has it crossed the waters
At Sawada River:
The capital folk-
Built great bridge!
A poem composed on the conception of showers at a poetry competition held at the house of Lord Toshitada.
五月雨に水まさるらし沢田川真木の継橋うきぬばかりに
samidare ni
midu masarurasi
sawadagaFa
maki no tugiFasi
ukinu bakari ni
In the showers
The waters seem to rise so high
At Sawada River
That the bridge of boards
Does just float upon it!
Fujiwara no Akinaka (1059-1129)
藤原顕仲
This poem is also:
Sakon gonchūjō toshitada ason ke uta’awase 6
左近権中将俊忠朝臣家歌合
(‘Poetry Contest held at the Residence of Lord Toshitada, Provisional Middle Captain of the Inner Palace Guards, Left Division’; 1104)
もがみがははやくぞまさる天雲ののぼれはくだる五月雨のころ
mogamigawa
hayaku zo masaru
amagumo no
noboreba kudaru
samidare no koro
The River Mogami
Flows exceeding fast;
Clouds within the heavens
Rise and fall
With the summer rains round now…
Yoshida Kenkō
吉田兼好
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