Koresada shinnō-ke uta’awase 36

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.

GSS VII: 415

Topic unknown.

もみぢばのながるるあきはかはごとににしきあらふとひとはみるらん[1]

momidiba no
nagaruru aki Fa
kaFa goto ni
nisiki araFu to
Fito Fa miruramu
The scarlet leaves
Flow and in autumn
By every river
Washing their brocade
Folk can be seen!

Anonymous


[1] This poem is included in the Poetry Contest at Prince Koresada’s House (Koresada shinnō-ke uta’awase) 69.

Koresada shinnō-ke uta’awase 35

もみぢばのながるるあきはかはごとににしきあらふとひとはみるらん[1]

momijiba no
nagaruru aki wa
kawa goto ni
nishiki arau to
hito wa miruramu
The scarlet leaves
Flow and in autumn
By every river
Washing their brocade
Folk can be seen!

ひしくればよるもめかれじきくのはなあきすぎぬればあふべきものか

hi shi kureba
yoru mo mekareji
kiku no hana
aki suginureba
aubeki mono ka
When the day is here,
At night you do escape my sight,
O, chrysanthemums;
When autumn has passed by,
I wonder shall we meet again?

70


[1] This poem is included in Gosenshū (VII: 415).

Koresada shinnō-ke uta’awase 34

あきのむしなどわびしげにこゑのするたのめしかげに露やもりくる

aki no mushi
nado wabishige ni
koe no suru
tanomeshi kage ni
tsuyu ya morikuru
Why do the autumn insects
And more let out plaintive
Cries;
Is your trustworthy face
Drenched in dew?

67

もみぢばのながれてゆけば山がはのあさきせだにもあきはふかみぬ

momijiba no
nagareteyukeba
yamagawa no
asaki se dani mo
aki wa fukaminu
The scarlet leaves
Have come flowing, so
The mountain stream’s
Shallow rapids—even they
Are deep in autumn!

68

Koresada shinnō-ke uta’awase 33

あきくともみどりのかへであらませばちらずぞあらましもみぢならねど

aki ku tomo
midori no kaede
aramaseba
chirazu zo aramashi
momiji naranedo
Autumn comes, yet
The maples in green
Do display themselves, so
I would you not scatter,
For your leaves have not turned scarlet…

65

しづはたにこひはすれどもこぬ人をまつむしのねぞあきはかなしき

shizu wa ta ni
koi wa suredomo
konu hito o
matsumushi no ne zo
aki wa kanashiki
Peasants in the rice-fields
Do fall in love, yet
For a man who fails to come, I
Pine crickets cries make
Autumn all the more sad.

66

Koresada shinnō-ke uta’awase 32

ゆめののちむなしきとこはあらじかしあきののなかもこひしかりけり

yume no nochi
munashiki toko wa
araji kashi
aki no no naka mo
koishikarikeri
After a dream of you
The emptiness of my bed
I feel not, I think, for
Amid the autumn meadows
I do love you still.

63

もみぢばのたまれるかりのなみだにはあきの月こそかげやどしけれ

momijiba no
tamareru kari no
namida ni wa
aki no tsuki koso
kage yadoshikere
The scarlet leaves
Clog the goose
Tears, where
It I the autumn moon’s
Light finds lodging.

64

Koresada shinnō-ke uta’awase 31

あきかぜになみやたつらんあまのがはすぐるまもなくつきのながるる

akikaze ni
nami ya tatsuramu
ama no kawa
sukuru ma mo naku
tsuki no nagaruru
Might it be the autumn wind that
Has raised the waves upon
The River of Heaven?
There’s no space to pass for
The moon, flowing by…

61

つき見ればちぢにものこそかなしけれ我がみひとつのあきにはあらねど

tsuki mireba
chiji ni mono koso
kanashikere
wa ga mi hitotsu no
aki ni wa aranedo
When I gaze upon the moon
So many are my sources of
Sadness;
Though, it is not I, alone, who
Is faced with autumn…

62

A Waka Autumn

The seasons are a significant topic for waka poetry, but the range of topics and images can be confusing if you’re not familiar with them. To help people out, I’ve recorded a brief video to provide an explanation about the season of autumn, as well as its main topics.

Koresada shinnō-ke uta’awase 30

あきはぎのえだもとををになりゆくはしら露おもくおけばなりけり[1]

akihagi no
eda mo towowo ni
nariyuku wa
shiratsuyu omoku
okeba narikeri
The autumn bush clover’s
Branches bend down
More and more;
When silver dewdrops weight
Does fall upon them.

ひとりしもあきにはあはなくによのなかのかなしきことをもてなやむらん

hitori shimo
aki ni wa awanaku ni
yo no naka no
kanashiki koto o
motenayamuran
Alone in
Autumn, without a meeting,
This mundane world’s
Sorrows
Pain me all the more.

60


[1] This poem was included in Gosenshū (VI: 304).

Koresada shinnō-ke uta’awase 29

いりひさす山とぞ見ゆるもみぢばのあきのことごとてらすなりけり

irihi sasu
yama to zo miyuru
momijiba no
aki no kotogoto
terasu narikeri
The setting sun shines
On the mountains, and it seems
The scarlet leaves
All of autumn
Do illuminate.

57

ひさかたのつきのかつらもあきはなほもみぢすればやてりまさるらん[1]

hisakata no
tsuki no katsura mo
aki  wa nao
momiji sureba ya
terimasaruran
On the eternal
Moon the silver trees too
In Autumn
Change their hues;
Is that why you shine so bright?

58


[1] This poem was included in Kokinshū (IV: 194), where it is attributed to Mibu no Tadamine.