When picking roots of water celery, while at a lady’s house:
水深みゝなかくせりと思ふらむあらはれやすき芹にぞありける
midu Fukami
mina kakuseri to
omoFuramu
araFareyasuki
seri ni zo arikeru |
The waters’ depths
Conceal all,
Or so you think;
How plain appears
This water celery… |
When Lady Saishō from the Sen’yōden had returned to her estate, I called but got the impression that she already had company; returning home, I sent this to her using a woman I had come across washing water-celery in the Nakagawa River.
なかゞはにすゝく田芹のねたき事あらはれてこそあるべかりけれ
nakagaFa ni
susuku taseri no
netaki koto
araFarete koso
arubekarikere |
In Nakagawa
Rinsing water-celery
Roots – green-eyed;
That another had appeared,
You should have said plainly. |
'Simply moving and elegant'