のぼるべき便無き身は木の下にしゐをひろひて世をわたるかな
noborubeki
tayori naki mi Fa
ko no moto ni
shiwi o FiroFite
yo wo wataru kana |
To climb up
One such as I has none,
So among the tree roots
Gathering four-fold nuts
Must I make my way! |
Minamoto no Yorimasa
源頼政
人しれず大内山の山守は木隱てのみ月を見るかな
Fito sirezu
oFoutiyama no
yama mori wa
kogakurete nomi
tuki miru kana |
Unknown to all
On the great Palace Mount
The beacon warder
Simply hidden by the trees
Gazes at the moon. |
Minamoto no Yorimasa
源頼政
逢ふことのかたのに今はなりぬれば思ふがりのみ行くにやあるらん
au koto no
katano ni ima wa
narinureba
omougari nomi
uku ni ya aruran |
Meeting is
Hard; in Katano now
Are you, and
Your hunting home
Seems the only place you go! |
Anonymous
A poem composed when he had heard a pheasant calling one dawn.
杉の野にさ踊る雉いちしろく音にしも哭かむ隱妻かも
sugi no no ni
sawodoru kigisu
itisiroku
oto ni simo nakamu
komoriduma kamo |
Among the cypress groves
A frisky pheasant
Clearly
Calls:
Seeking his hidden bride, perhaps? |
Ōtomo no Yakamochi
大伴家持
A poem on pheasants in springtime, composed by Lord Ōtomo no Yakamochi.
haru no no ni
asaru kigishi no
tsumagoi ni
ono ga atari o
hito ni shiretsutsu |
In the fields in springtime
While seeking grain, the pheasant
Cries love for his mate, and
His location
To all reveals! |
Ōtomo no Yakamochi
大伴家持
戯奴がため我が手もすまに春の野に抜ける茅花そ召して肥えませ
wake ga tame
a ga te mo suma ni
paru no no ni
tubana so mesite
koemase |
Young man
For you my hands have been ceaseless
In the fields at springtime;
Eat these ears of cogon grass
And put some weight on! |
Lady Ki
紀郎女
茅花抜く浅茅が原もおいにけり白綿引ける野辺と見るまで
tubana nuku
asadi ga Fara mo
oFinikeri
sirowata Fikeru
nobe to miru made |
Ears thrusting
The cogon grass fields
Have grown;
White cotton drawn
Across the plains, it seems. |
Sone no Yoshitada
曾禰好忠
梓弓入佐の山にまとふかなほの見し月の影や見ゆると
adusa yumi
irusa no yama ni
matoFu kana
Fonomishi tuki no
kage ya miyuru to |
A catalpa bow
At Mount Irusa is aimed;
Is aimed;
Dimly glimpsed, that moon,
Will I see her light once more? |
里分かぬ影をば見れど行く月の入佐の山を誰かたづぬる
sato wakanu
kage wo ba miredo
yuku tuki no
irusa no yama wo
tare ka tadunuru |
Every dwelling
Stands clear in this light, yet
The moon travels on,
Setting at Mount Irusa
And who would call upon it there? |
A woman who lived in a rather dilapidated place, when she was feeling alone, picked some violets from her garden and sent them to a man saying:
我が宿にすみれの花の多かれば来宿る人やあると待つかな
a ga yado ni
sumire no Fana no
oFokareba
kiyadoru Fito ya
aru to matu kana |
At my home
The violets bloom
In profusion, so
Wondering if you will come to stay
I am awaiting! |
Anonymous
'Simply moving and elegant'