玉さかに相坂山の真葛原まだうらわかし恨みはてじな
tamasaka ni
aisakayama no
makuzuwara
mada urawakashi
uramihateji na | By chance,
On Aisaka Mountain
The fields of arrowroot are
Still so young—
O, do not end up despising them! |
Lady Tsu, in service to the Former Kamo Virgin
33
In reply.
夏山の下はふくずのうらわかみまだきに露の心おくらん
natsuyama no
shita hau kuzu no
urawakami
madaki ni tsuyu no
kokoro okuran | On the summer mountains
The arrowroot, creeping beneath,
Seems so young that
Swiftly will the dewdrops
Fall upon its heart. |
The Minister of Justice
34
人しれぬ袖ぞ露けき逢ふことはかれのみまさる山のした草
hito shirenu
sode zo tsuyukeki
au koto wa
kare nomi masaru
yama no shitagusa | Unknown to all
My sleeves are drenched with dew;
For our meetings
Excel only in being withered
As the scrub grass on the mountainside. |
[Nakako,] The Suō Handmaid
29
In reply.
おく山の下かげ草はかれやする軒ばにのみはおのれなりつつ
oku yama no
shitakagegusa wa
kare ya suru
nokiba ni nomi wa
onore naritsutsu | Deep within the mountains, have
The grasses growing in the trees’ dark shade
Really withered away?
Simply beneath your eaves,
Is where I ever am… |
The Consultant Middle Captain
30
Image by joyfultta from Pixabay
Topic unknown.
をぎのはにつゆふきむすぶこがらしのおとぞよさむになりまさるなる
wogi no Fa ni
tuyu Fukimusubu
kogarasi no
oto zo yosamu ni
narimasaru naru | Silver grass fronds
Blown with tangling dewdrops,
The biting wind’s
Howl, night’s chill
Does make the stronger. |
Fujiwara no Akitsuna
つゆながらをりてかざさむきくのはなおいせぬ秋のひさしかるべく[1]
tsuyu nagara
orite kasasamu
kiku no hana
oisenu aki no
hisashikarubeku | Dew-dappled
Let us pluck and wear
Chrysanthemum blooms
That an Autumn of eternal youth
Should last forever! |
71
[1] This poem is included in Kokinshū (V: 270), where it is attributed to Ki no Tomonori.
しらたまのあきのこのはにやどれると見つるは露のはかるなりけり[1]
shiratama no
aki no ko no ha ni
yadoreru to
mitsuru wa tsuyu no
hakaru narikeri | Pearls
Upon the leaves of the autumn trees
Have found lodging:
At the sight, the dewdrops
I’ll measure! |
51
ゆきかへりここもかしこもかりなれやあきくるごとにねをばなくらん
yukikaeri
koko mo kashiko mo
kari nare ya
aki kuru koto ni
ne oba nakuran | Going back and forth,
Hither and thither
Are the geese?
That autumn’s coming
Is in their cries, it seems. |
52
[1] This poem was included in Gosenshū (VI: 311).
かりのみとうはのそらなるなみだこそあきのたもとのつゆとおくらめ
kari nomi to
uwa no sora naru
namida koso
aki no tamoto no
tsuyu to okurame | The geese simply from
The skies above
Do drop their tears;
It is in autumn that my sleeves
Seem to gather dewdrops. |
49
山がはのたきつせしばしよどまなむあきのもみぢのいろとめて見む
yamagawa no
takitsuse shibashi
yodomanamu
aki no momiji no
iro tomete mimu | The mountain river’s
Rapids seem briefly
Stilled;
Autumn’s scarlet leaves’
Hues have halted it, I see. |
50
あきのよにかりかもなきてわたるなる我が思ふ人のことづてやせる[1]
aki no yo ni
kari kamo nakite
watarunaru
wa ga omou hito no
kotozute ya seru | On an autumn night
Is that the geese a’crying
As they pass by?
There is one I love—
Would you take a message to her? |
43
おく露にくちゆくのべのくさのはやあきのほたるとなりわたるらむ[2]
oku tsuyu ni
kuchiyuku nobe no
kusa no ha ya
aki no hotaru to
nariwataruramu | Dew falls on
The rotting meadows, where
The blades of grass with
The tired autumn fireflies
Do seem to sound… |
44
[1] A minor variant of this poem is included in Gosenshū (VII: 356), where it is attributed to [Ki no] Tsurayuki.
[2] This poem is included in Fubokushō (5548), where it is attributed to [Mibu no] Tadamine.
よもぎふに露のおきしくあきのよはひとりぬるみもそでぞぬれける
yomogyū ni
tsuyu no okishiku
aki no yo wa
hitori nuru mi mo
sode zo nurekeru | Upon the mugwort
The dew falls, scattered
On an autumn night;
Sleeping alone, my
Sleeves are drenched, indeed! |
35
あしひきの山べによするしらなみはくれなゐふかくあきぞ見えける
ashihiki no
yamabe ni yosuru
shiranami wa
kurenai fukaku
aki zo miekeru | Upon the leg-wearying
Mountain meadows break
The whitecaps;
A deeper scarlet
Does autumn reveal. |
36
わびひとのとしふるさとはあきのののむしのやどりのなるぞわびしき[1]
wabibito no
toshi furu sato wa
aki no no no
mushi no yadori no
naru zo wabishiki | For one sunk in sadness
In an ancient dwelling
Among the autumn fields, where
The insects take their lodging,
Their cries are more heartbreaking. |
23
あきのよのつゆをばつゆとおきながらかりのなみだやのべをそむらん[2]
aki no yo no
tsuyu oba tsuyu to
okinagara
kari no namida ya
nobe o somuramu | On Autumn nights
The dew as dewdrops
Falls, but,
Perhaps goose tears
Stain the fields? |
24
[1] This poems also appears in Fubokushō (5579), where it is attributed to Ariwara no Motokata
[2] This poem also appears in Kokinshū (V: 258) and Kokin rokujō (584). In both collections it is attributed to Mibu no Tadamine.
さをしかのしがらみふする秋はぎはたまなす露ぞつつみたりける
saoshika no
shigarami fusuru
akihagi wa
tama nasu tsuyu zo
tsutsumitarikeru | Ah, the stag,
Entangled, tripped
On the autumn bush clover;
Dewdrops turned gemlets
Have wrapped him all around. |
21
かみなみのみむろの山をわけゆけばにしきたちきる心ちこそすれ
kaminami no
mimuro no yama o
wakeyukeba
nishiki tachikiru
kokochi koso sure | Deities dwell
Upon Mount Mimuro, where
I forge my way,
Cutting and sewing the brocade of leaves,
I feel! |
22
'Simply moving and elegant'
