Scarlet lotus flowers floating on marsh water (緑沼紅蓮浮)
Left (Win)
みどりぬにうきたるはちすくれなゐにみづにごるなり波たつなゆめ
midorinu ni
ukitaru hatisu
kurenawi ni
midu nigorunari
nami tatu na yume | Upon the green marsh
Floats a lotus
Its scarlet
Stains the waters –
O, rise not, you waves! |
6
Right
紅のはちすうきたるみどりぬにしら波たてばこきまぜの花
kurenawi no
Fatisu ukitaru
midorinu ni
siranami tateba
kokimaze no Fana | Scarlet,
The lotus floats upon
The green marsh, but
When the whitecaps rise
All jumbled will the flowers be… |
7[1]
[1]These poems are included in Fubokushō (XXIV: 11386) and (XXIV: 11387).
Shrines 社
神がきやみむろの山の木がくれにも見えまがはぬはあけの玉がき
kamigaki ya
mimuro no yama no
kogakure ni mo
miemagawanu wa
ake no tamagaki | O, sacred wall!
Upon Mimuro Mountain,
Even hidden amongst the trees,
Unmistakable is
The holy scarlet fence! |
Tadafusa
Love Closely Nearby.
紅の裾引くほどの宿なれど色にいでなば人に知られじ
kurenawi no
suso Fiku Fodo no
yado naredo
iro ni idenaba
Fito ni shirarezi | Her scarlet
Hem could I tug upon, so close
Do we dwell, yet
If my passion’s hues were to show,
I would folk did never know… |
Fujiwara no Kiyosuke (1104-1177)
藤原清輔
紅はうつろふものぞ橡のなれにし来ぬになほしかめやも
kurenawi wa
uturopu mono zo
turubami no
narenisi konu ni
napo sikame ya mo |
Scarlet is
A hue that fades!
Oak-dyed
Well-worn garb is
More appropriate, don’t you think? |
The poems above were composed on the 5th day of the Fifth Month by the Governor, Ōtomo sukune Yakamochi.
沖行くや赤ら小舟につと遣らばけだし人見て開き見むかも
oki yuku ya
akara obune ni
tuto yaraba
kedasi pito mite
akimimu kamo |
Heading out into the offing
On a scarlet official ship
If I send a parcel
Would he find it, and
Try opening it, I wonder? |
Composed for the Poetry Competition held at the Residence of Middle Councillor Toshitada.
くれなゐの濃染の衣うへにきむこひのなみたの色かくるやと
kurenawi no
kosome no koromo
uFe ni kimu
koFi no namida no
iro kakuru ya to |
In scarlet
Deeply dyed, a robe
Would I put on
That my tears of love’s
Hue be concealed! |
Fujiwara no Akitsuna
藤原顕綱
'Simply moving and elegant'