Coming of Age 元服
むらさきのはつもとゆひにむすびおかんつるばみの衣ちとせふるまで
murasaki no
hatsu motoyui ni
musubiokan
tsurubami no kinu
chitose furu made | With violet was
Your first topknot
Tied for now;
May you wear noble, dark grey garb
Until a thousand years have passed! |
Daishin
On clothing.
橡の衣は人皆事なしと言ひし時より着欲しく思ほゆ
turubami no
kinu pa pito mina
koto nasi to
ipisi toki yori
kiposiki omopoyu |
An oak-dyed
Robe, so all
Say is fine –
Since then
I would wear one, I feel. |
橡の衣の色はかはらねど一重になればめづらしき哉
turubami no
koromo no iro Fa
kaFarenedo
FitoFe ni nareba
medurasiki kana |
An oak-dyed
Robe’s shade
Does never change, yet
When but a single layer has it become,
How rare it is, indeed! |
Minamoto no Akinaka
源顕仲
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.
橡の衣解き洗ひ真土山本つ人にはなほしかずけり
turubami no
kinu toki arapi
matutiyama
moto tu pito ni pa
napo sikazukeri |
Chestnut dyed
Garb, unstitching and washing:
At Matsuchi Mountain’s
Foot, that woman:
I have yet to find her like! |
Anonymous
'Simply moving and elegant'