Mandarin Ducks 鴛鴦
をし鳥もくぐる岩ねのうす氷今朝やうは毛にとぢかさぬらん
oshidori mo
kuguru iwane no
usukōri
kesa ya uwage ni
tojikasanuran | The mandarins do
Dive beneath the ice-film
Round the rocks;
I wonder, will their down this morning
Be clogged with crystal layers? |
Toshiyori
Kindling 薪
かれはててたきぎになりし昔よりたきすてらるる日をぞかぞふる
karehatete
takigi ni narishi
mukashi yori
takisuteraruru
hi zo kazouru | Dried up and withered
Kindling did become;
That time long past, since then have
The burnt out
Days I counted up… |
Toshiyori
Gosechi 五節
日影さすをみのあかひもうちとけて立ちまふ人をもてはやすなり
hikage sasu
omi no akahimo
uchitokete
tachimau hito o
motehayasunari | Sunlight falls on
Scarlet purification cords,
Undone as
The dancing folk do
Shine so bright! |
Toshiyori
First Snow 初雪
めづらしき花のみやこの初雪を九重にさへふらしてぞみる
mezurashiki
hana no miyako no
hatsuyuki o
kokonoe ni sae
furashite zo miru | Unusually,
On the flower that is the Capital
Has fallen the first snow –
The ninefold palace gates
Have summoned it, it seems! |
Toshiyori
Crickets 蛬
なきかへせ秋をおくるなきりぎりすくれなば声のよわるのみかは
nakikawase
aki o okuru na
kirigirisu
kurenaba koe no
yowaru nomi ka wa | Crying all together
As autumn’s end draws near, are
The crickets;
Should it end, is it their song
Alone that will weaken? |
Toshiyori
Bell Crickets 鈴虫
かずならでふりぬることをすず虫となきかはしてもあかしつるかな
kazu narade
furinuru koto o
suzumushi to
nakikawashitemo
akashitsuru kana | Innumerable
Have they descended;
The bell crickets
All crying together, yet
Dawn has come! |
Toshiyori
Pine Crickets 松虫
夕されば野べもや物をおもふらん松虫鳴きて露しめりけり
yū sareba
nobe mo ya mono o
omouran
matsumushi nakite
tsuyu shimerikeri | When the evening comes
Does the plain seem
Sunk in thought?
The pine crickets crying, and
The dew so chill… |
Toshiyori
Autumn Mountains 秋山
都にてたれにかたらん紅葉するたつたの山のみねの気色を
miyako nite
tare ni kataran
momijisuru
tatsuta no yama no
mine no keshiki o | In the capital
Who is there to tell?
Of scarlet-turning
Tatsuta Mountain’s
Peak’s appearance? |
Toshiyori
Scented Grasses 草香
いくさくさのがふ心やつきぬらんいまのはり道石ふますとて
ikusakusa
no gau kokoro ya
tsukinuran
ima no harimichi
ishi fumasu tote | With a multitude of grasses’
Scents will my heart
Reach exhaustion?
Now, upon this new-laid road
I’ll tread down stones, I think… |
Toshiyori
Reaped Rice Fields 稂田
よしさらばおもふひつちのかしげつつ物にもならでしもかれねとや
yoshi saraba
omou hitsuchi no
kashigetsutsu
mono ni mo narade
shimogarene to ya | I care not!
That’s what I feel – the stubble,
Ever bent down
And coming to nothing:
I wonder, will it avoid the burn of frost? |
Toshiyori
'Simply moving and elegant'
