Tag Archives: uguisu

Shiki koi sanshu uta’awase – Spring

Spring

Left

春のたつ霞の衣うらもなく年を経てこそ花の散りけれ

haru no tatsu
kasumi no koromo
ura mo naku
toshi o hete koso
hana no chirikere
Spring does sew
A robe of haze
Without an underlay,
The year passes by in
A scattering of blossom

1

春の野の雪間をわけていつしかと君がためとぞ若菜摘みつる

haru no no no
yuki ma o wakete
itsushika to
kimi ga tame to zo
wakana tsumitsuru
Across the springtime meadows
Do I forge between the snows,
Eagerly, so eagerly,
For you, my Lord,
Have I gathered fresh herbs!

2

春霞かすみこめたる山里はこほりとくともかげはみえじを

harugasumi
kasumi kometaru
yamazato wa
kōri toku tomo
kage wa mieji o
The haze of spring
Blurs all around
A mountain retreat,
Even were the ice to melt
I could see no sign of it!

3

Right

梅枝にきゐる鶯年毎に花の匂ひをあかぬ声する

ume ga e ni
ki’iru uguisu
toshigoto ni
hana no nioi o
akanu koesuru
Upon the plum tree’s branches
Has come to rest the warbler;
Every single year, that
Of the blossoms’ scent
He cannot get his fill he sings.

4

桜色に花さく雨はふりぬとも千しほぞそめてうつろふなそで

sakurairo ni
hana saku ame wa
furinu tomo
chishio zo somete
utsurou na sode
Cherry-coloured
Blossoms flower, as the rain
Falls on, yet
Dyed a thousand times
Fade not, o, my sleeves!

5

青柳のいとはるばると緑なる行末までも思ひこそやれ

aoyagi no
ito harubaru to
midori naru
yukusue made mo
omoi koso yare
The willow’s
Branches dangle lengthily
So green
Right to the very end
Will I fondly think of you.

6

San’i minamoto no hirotsune ason uta’awase 2

Being quiet in company with a bush warbler (鶯閑中友)

Left

うぐひすのこゑを友にてくらすかなひとりながむる春の山里

uguisu no
koe o tomo nite
kurasu kana
hitori nagamuru
haru no yamazato
O, with a warbler’s
Song
To spend my days!
Gazing out alone
From a mountain hut in springtime…

3

Right

山家はなく鶯のこゑのみぞのどけき春の友ときこゆる

yama ie wa
naku uguisu no
koe nomi zo
nodokeki haru no
tomo to kikoyuru
In a dwelling in the mountains
With nothing but a singing warbler’s
Song!
Peaceful, pleasant springtime
Is in the very sound.

Fujiwara no Kunimoto, Ranked without Office
4

Fubokushō II: 380

君にとし思ひかくれば鶯のはなのくしげもをしまざりけり

kimi ni to si
omoFikakureba
uguFisu no
hana no kusige mo
wosimazarikeri
For my Lady did
I fondly think, so
The warbler’s
Comb box of blossom
I do not regret at all…

Ise

It is said that she composed this poem and sent it, together with some budding scarlet plum blossom to the residence of the Kujō Lady of the Bedchamber when Her Highness held a little box match.

Eikyū hyakushu 418

When Spring Arrives in the Old Year 旧年立春

谷の戸をいでずとなけやうぐひすは年もあけぬに春はきにけり

tani no to o
idezu to nake ya
uguisu wa
toshi mo akenu ni
haru wa kinikeri
Will ‘From the valley’s mouth
Come not!’ you sing?
O, warbler, for
The year has not yet dawned, though
Spring has come.

Tadafusa

KKS II: 107

Topic unknown.

散る花のなくにし止まる物ならば我におとらましやは

tiru Fana no
nakunisi tomaru
mono naraba
ware uguFisu ni
otoramasi ya Fa
If the scattering blossoms
Halted by cries
Could be,
Would mine to the warbler’s
Lose out? Surely not!

Assistant Handmaid [Harusumi no] Amaneiko[1]


[1] Amaneiko 洽子 (dates unknown) was the daughter of Harusumi no Yoshitada 春澄善縄 (797-870), a regional noble from Inaba in Ise, who was granted the name of Harusumi in 828. Her original name was Takaiko 高子, but this was changed in 877, as it was the same as that of Fujiwara no Takaiko 藤原高子 (842-910) , the consort of Emperor Seiwa 清和 (850-880; r. 858-876) and mother of Emperor Yōzei 陽成 (869-949; r. 876-884). Yoshitada had four children, of whom Amaneiko was the only one to enjoy any success at court, meaning that the family line ended after her death. Amaneiko had a respectable court career, serving five emperors, and eventually reaching Junior Third Rank in 902, a remarkable achievement for a court lady from a provincial background. Emperor Uda 宇多 (867-931; r. 887-897) regarded her extremely highly, singling her out for mention in his Kanpyō no go-yukai 寛平御遺誡 (897), a set of instructions and advice he wrote for Emperor Daigo 醍醐 (885-930; 897-930), when he abdicated and Daigo took the throne at the age of thirteen.