Winter
Left
冬くれば紅葉ふりしく神無月佐保の山辺はむべもりぬらん
fuyu kureba
momiji furishiku
kaminazuki
saho no yamabe wa
mube morinuran | When the winter comes,
Scarlet leaves, falling and scattering
In the Godless Month,
Upon the slopes of Mount Saho,
Indeed, are at their finest. |
19
冬ごもりかれてみゆらん梅がえは今はた花の春はにほはん
fuyugomori
karete miyuran
ume ga e wa
ima hata hana no
haru wa niowan | Sealed in winter, and
All withered seeming,
The plum tree’s branches,
Now, for sure, the blossoms’
Spring will scent. |
20
冬みれば水もまかせぬ小山田にいつすき返し種をまきけん
fuyu mireba
mizu mo makasenu
oyamada ni
itsu sukikaeshi
tane o makiken | ‘Tis winter, I see, so
There’s no water to draw for
The little mountain paddies:
O, when might I till them, and
Sow my seeds, I wonder? |
21
Right
時雨降る宿にすまへば冬の夜に錦とみゆる木木の花かな
shigure furu
yado ni sumaeba
fuyu no yo ni
nishiki to miyuru
kigi no hana kana | Showers fall
Upon the house where I do dwell, so
Upon a winter’s night
As brocade do seem
The blossoming trees! |
22
ゆふだすき神の社にかけつればしもし降るにもたのもしきかな
yūdasuki
kami no yashiro ni
kaketsureba
shimo shi furu ni mo
tanomashiki kana | Sacred mulberry cords
Around the God’s shrine
Are hung, so
Even amidst the frost fall,
The future does seem bright! |
23
白雲のふたへふりしくときは山うらはへとしはみどりなりけれ
shiragumo no
futae furishiku
tokiwa yama
ura hae toshi wa
midori narikere | Clouds of white
Lie scattered, twofold, upon
The unchanging mountain:
Stretching out behind, the year
Is simply green. |
24
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
あさぎりにかたまどはしてなくかりのこゑぞたえせぬ秋の山べは
asagiri ni
kata madowashite
naku kari no
koe zo taesenu
aki no yamabe wa | In the morning mists
Having lost their way,
Crying, the geese
Call out ceaselessly
From the autumn mountain meadows. |
27
山ざとはあきこそことにかなしけれしかのなくねにめをさましつつ[1]
yamazato wa
aki koso koto ni
kanashikere
shika no naku ne ni
me o samashitsutsu | In a mountain retreat
The autumn, especially,
Is lonely.
The belling of the stags
Continually awakens me. |
28
[1] This poem also occurs in Kokinshū (IV: 214), where it is attributed to [Mibu no] Tadamine.
時雨降る秋の山辺をゆくときは心にもあらぬ袖ぞひちける
shigure furu
aki no yamabe o
yuku toki wa
kokoro ni mo aranu
sode zo hichikeru | Drizzle falls
In autumn on the mountain meadows;
And when I travel there
Not my heart, but
My sleeves are truly drenched. |
11
年ごとにいかなる露のおけばかも秋の山辺の色濃かるらむ
toshi goto ni
ikanaru tsuyu no
okeba kamo
aki no yamabe no
iro kokaruramu | Every single year
However many dewdrops
May fall
The autumn mountain meadows
Turn to richer hues, it seems. |
12
久方の天照る月のにごりなく君が御代をばともにとぞ思ふ
hisakata no
ama teru tsuki no
nigorinaku
kimi ga miyo oba
tomo ni to zo omou | The eternal
Heaven-shining moon is
So clear that
My Lord’s reign
Lives together with it in my thoughts! |
9
宵よひに秋の草葉におく露の玉にぬかむととれば消えつつ[1]
yoiyoi ni
aki no kusaba ni
oku tsuyu no
tama ni nukamu to
toreba kietsutsu | Night after night
Upon the blades of autumn grass
Fall dewdrops;
I would thread those jewels, but
At a touch, ever do they vanish away… |
10
[1] This poem is also Shinsenzaishū 316, where it is attributed to Ōshikōchi no Mitsune.
Sages’ Dwellings 仙宮
のりて行くつるの羽風に雲晴れて月もさやけくすむ山べかな
norite yuku
tsuru no hakaze ni
kumo harete
tsuki mo sayakeku
sumu yamabe kana | Carried on
The cranes’ wing-breeze,
The clouds part and
The moon, so bright, and
Clear shines on this mountainside! |
Kanemasa
When Spring Arrives in the Old Year 旧年立春
年すぐる山べなこめそ朝がすみさこそは春と友にたつとも
toshi suguru
yamabe na kome so
asagasumi
sa koso wa haru to
tomo ni tatsu tomo | The year’s passage shows
On the mountain slopes – enfold them not,
O, morning haze!
For truly, it is as spring’s
Companion that you should rise… |
Akinaka
Composed when he had gone to a temple in the mountains.
宿りして春の山辺にねたる夜は夢の内にも花ぞちりける
yadori site
Faru no yamabe ni
netaru yo Fa
yume no uti ni mo
Fana zo tirikeru | Lodging here
Upon a mountainside in springtime,
Sleeping at night
Even my dreams are full
Of scattered blossom. |
Tsurayuki
A poem from a poetry competition held by Her Majesty, the Empress, during the Kanpyō period.
霞立春の山辺はとをけれど吹くる風は花の香ぞする
kasumi tatu
Faru no yamabe Fa
towokeredo
Fukikuru kaze Fa
Fana no ka zo suru | Hazes rise
Round the mountains’ sides,
So far away, and yet
The gusting breeze comes
Bearing the scent of blossom. |
Ariwara no Motokata
When he had gone to the northern hills to view the blossom, he sent this to the residence of the Un’rin-in Prince.[1]
いざけふは春の山辺にまじりなむ暮れなばなげの花の影かは
iza keFu Fa
Faru no yamabe ni
mazirinamu
kurenaba nage no
Fana no kage ka Fa | So, on this day
Into the springtime mountains
Let us tread!
For even should dusk fall, brief
Would the blossoms glow be? Surely not! |
Sosei
[1] Imperial Prince Tsuneyasu 常康親王 (?-869), the seventh son of Emperor Ninmyō.
'Simply moving and elegant'