Composed on the conception of changing into summer clothes, when a Hundred Poem Sequence was presented to His Majesty, Emperor Horikawa.
夏ごろもはなのたもとにぬぎかへて春のかたみもとまらざりけり
| natsugoromo hana no tamoto ni nugikaete haru no katami mo tomarazarikeri | For summer garb Blossom-laden sleeves I remove, and with the change Those keepsakes of springtime Fail to linger on. |
Former Middle Counsellor Masafusa
Groves 原
春の中はかすみのうちに見えしかど霧も立ちけりあをやぎのはら
| haru no naka wa kasumi no uchi ni mieshikado kiri mo tachikeri aoyagi no hara | In the midst of springtime, Within the hazes Have they appeared, yet now The mist has arisen among The willow groves. |
Nakazane
Composed when he had gone to a temple in the mountains.
宿りして春の山辺にねたる夜は夢の内にも花ぞちりける
| yadori site Faru no yamabe ni netaru yo Fa yume no uti ni mo Fana zo tirikeru | Lodging here Upon a mountainside in springtime, Sleeping at night Even my dreams are full Of scattered blossom. |
Tsurayuki
A poem from a poetry competition held by Her Majesty, the Empress, during the Kanpyō period.
春の野に若菜つまむと来し物をちりかふ花に道はまどひぬ
| Faru no no ni wakana tumamu to koshi mono wo tirikaFu Fana ni miti Fa madoFinu | To the meadows in springtime Thinking to pick fresh herbs Did I come, but Amongst the scattered blossom Have I lost my way. |
Tsurayuki
Topic unknown.
春ごとに花の盛りはありなめどあひ見む事はいのちなりけり
| Faru gotot ni Fana no sakari Fa arinamedo aFimimu koto Fa inoti narikeri | In every springtime are there Blossoms in profusion, No doubt, and yet Whether I will see them more Hangs upon my lifeline. |
Anonymous
When he had gone to the northern hills to view the blossom, he sent this to the residence of the Un’rin-in Prince.[1]
いざけふは春の山辺にまじりなむ暮れなばなげの花の影かは
| iza keFu Fa Faru no yamabe ni mazirinamu kurenaba nage no Fana no kage ka Fa | So, on this day Into the springtime mountains Let us tread! For even should dusk fall, brief Would the blossoms glow be? Surely not! |
Sosei
[1] Imperial Prince Tsuneyasu 常康親王 (?-869), the seventh son of Emperor Ninmyō.
Composed on plum blossoms on a spring night.
春の夜の闇はあやなし梅花色こそ見えね香やはかくるる
| Faru no yo no yami Fa ayanasi ume no Fana iro koso miene ka ya Fa kakururu | On nights in springtime How strange the darkness is! The plum blossoms’ Hues do go unseen, but Can their scent still be concealed? |
Mitsune
The Iwashimizu Special Festival (石清水臨時祭)
男山かざしの花も春なればをみのころももかはるけふかな
| otokoyama kazashi no hana mo haru nareba omi no koromo mo kawaru kyō kana | When Man-Mountain is Decked with blossom In springtime, Festive garb, too, is Donned today! |
Nakazane
冬こもり春咲く花を手折り持ち千たびの限り恋ひわたるかも
| puyu komori paru saku pana wo tawori moti titabi no kagiri kopiwataru kamo |
Sealed in winter Springtime’s blooming blossoms Do I take in hand – A thousand times and more Does love for you fill my thoughts. |
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection
柿本人麻呂歌集
ほのぼのと明石の浜を見渡しば春の浪わけ出づる船の帆
| Fonobono to akasi no Fama wo miwataseba Faru no namiwake iduru Fune no Fo |
In the gloaming When across the beach at Akashi I sweep my gaze, Cutting through the springtime waves Are the sails of departing boats. |
Minamoto no Shitagō
源順