Tag Archives: tama no o

Kokin rokujō V: 3215

Jewelled thread of life.

したにのみおもへばくるし玉のをのたえてみだれん人なとがめそ

shita ni nomi
omoeba kurushi
tama no o no
taete midaren
hito na togame so
Simply beneath the surface
Lies my passion, so ‘tis painful—
My jewelled thread of life
Might snap in tangles and
Let no one blame me for it![i]

Tomonori

A kuzushiji version of the poem's text.
Created with Soan.

[i] A minor variant of this poem, which replaces omeba (feel [passion, so’] with koureba (‘feel love, so’) occurs in Kokinshū (XIII: 677).

SZS IV: 265

Composed when he presented a Hundred Poem Sequence to former Emperor Sutoku.

たつたひめかざしのたまのををよわみみだれにけりとみゆるしらつゆ

tatutaFime
kazasi no tama no
wo wo yowami
midarenikeri to
miyuru siratuyu
Princess Tatsuta’s
Jewelled hairpin
Has threads so frail that
Confused do
Appear the silver dewdrops.

Lord Fujiwara no Kiyosuke

KKS XII: 568

A poem from the Poetry Contest held by the Empress Dowager during the Reign of the Kanpyō Emperor.

しぬる命いきもやすると心みに玉のをばかりあはむといはなむ

sinuru inoti
iki mo ya suru to
kokoromi ni
tama no wo bakari
aFamu to iFanamu
I have died for love of you, but
Might life return?
Try, if only as
A fragile jewelled thread, and
Say that you will meet with me!

Fujiwara no Okikaze

Miscellaneous 94

Left.

君が世にあはずは何を玉の緒のながくとまではおしまれじ身を

kimi ga yo ni
awazu wa nani o
tama no o
no
nagaku to made wa
oshimareji mi o
My Lord’s reign:
‘Without it, why should,
My jewelled thread of life
Be lengthened more?’ Even for such a thought
Have I no regrets.

187

Right (Win).

思ふことむなしき夢の半天にたゆともたゆなつらき玉の緒

omou koto
munashiki yume no
nakazora ni
tayutomo tayuna
tsuraki tama no o
All my thoughts are just an
Empty dream within
The hollow heavens:
Though it endures, let it not!
My jewelled thread of life…

188

Love 63

Left (Tie).

たれもこのあはれみじかき玉の緒に亂れてものを思はずもがな

tare mo kono
aware mijikaki
tama no o ni
midarete mono o
omowazu mogana
There’s none who this
Pitifully short
Jewelled thread of life
A tangle could
Not think!

125

Right (Tie).

いかゞせむありしわかれを限にて此世ながらの心かはらば

ikaga semu
arishi wakare o
kagiri nite
kono yo nagara no
kokoro kawaraba
What is to be done?
That past parting was
Our end, yet
Here within this world,
Should our hearts change…

126