Jidai fudō uta’awase 38

Left

おとは山おとにききつつあふさかのせきのこなたにとしをふるかな

otowa yama
oto ni kikitsutsu
ausaka no
seki no konata ni
tose o furu kana
As wing-beats in the mountains
Do I hear tell of you;
But on Meeting Hill
Barrier’s inner side
Must I spend my days?

75[i]

Right

ありすがはおなじながれはかはらねどみしやむかしの影ぞわすれぬ

arisugawa
onaji nagare wa
kawaranedo
mishi ya mukashi no
kage zo wasurenu
The Arisu River’s
Flow is just the same and
All unchanged, yet
She who saw it, long ago—
Her face never will I forget!

76[ii]


[i] KKS XI: 473: Topic unknown.

[ii] SKKS VIII: 827: After the death of Imperial Princess Shinshi, he had heard that Imperial Princess Sōshi was to move to her former residence, so he went to inspect it, but found everything unchanged; deep in memories of the distant past, he said this to one of the ladies-in-waiting.

SKKS VIII: 827

After the death of Imperial Princess Shinshi, he had heard that Imperial Princess Sōshi was to move to her former residence, so he went to inspect it, but found everything unchanged; deep in memories of the distant past, he said this to one of the ladies-in-waiting.

ありすがはおなじながれはかはらねどみしやむかしの影ぞわすれぬ

arisugawa
onaji nagare wa
kawaranedo
mishi ya mukashi no
kage zo wasurenu
The Arisu River’s
Flow is just the same and
All unchanged, yet
She who saw it, long ago—
Her face never will I forget!

The Naka-no-in Minister of the Right

A kuzushiji version of the poem's text.
Created with Soan.

Jidai fudō uta’awase 37

Round Thirty-Seven

Left

かすみたつ春の山辺はとほけれどふきくる風は花のかぞする

kasumi tatsu
haru no yamabe wa
tōkeredo
fukikuru kaze wa
hana 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

73[i]

Right

たづねきてたをるさくらの朝露に花のたもとのぬれぬ日ぞなき

tazunekite
taoru sakura no
asatsuyu ni
hana no tamoto no
nurenu hi zo naki
I pay a visit and
Pluck, with my hand, a stem of cherry blossom;
The morning dew
My springtime sleeves
Dampens every single day!

The Naka-no-in Minister of the Right

74[ii]


[i] KKS II: 103: A poem from the Poetry Contest held by Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, during the Reign of the Kanpyō Emperor.

[ii] SZS I: 53: Composed on the conception of seeing blossom every morning.

SZS I: 53

Composed on the conception of seeing blossom every morning.

たづねきてたをるさくらの朝露に花のたもとのぬれぬ日ぞなき

tadunekite
taworu sakura no
asatuyu ni
Fana no tamoto no
nurenu Fi zo naki
I pay a visit and
Pluck, with my hand, a stem of cherry blossom;
The morning dew
My springtime sleeves
Dampens every single day!

The Naka-no-in Minister of the Right

A kuzushiji version of the poem's text.
Created with Soan.

Jidai fudō uta’awase 36

Round Thirty-Six

Left

いまこむといひしばかりになが月のあり明の月をまちいでつるかな

ima komu to
iishi bakari ni
nagatsuki no
ariake no tsuki o
machi’idetsuru kana
‘I will come now,’
He had said, but
Until the Longest Month’s
Dawntime moon
Appeared, have I been waiting…

71[i]

Right

うれしくはのちの心を神もきけひくしめなはのたえじとぞおもふ

ureshiku wa
nochi no kokoro o
kami mo kike
hiku shimenawa no
taeji to zo omou
Should it please you,
Let my heart in days to come—
Heed my prayer, O, God—
As a sacred garland strung
I would it prove false never!

72[ii]


[i] KKS XIV: 691: Topic unknown.

[ii] SZS XII: 709/708: Composed on the conception of praying for love, for the same ten poem sequence.

SZS XII: 709

Composed on the conception of differing love, for the same ten poem sequence.

うれしくはのちの心を神もきけひくしめなはのたえじとぞおもふ

uresiku Fa
noti no kokoro wo
kami mo kike
Fiku simenawF no
taezi to zo omoFu
Should it please you,
Let my heart in days to come—
Heed my prayer, O, God—
As a sacred garland strung
I would it prove false never!

Master of the Palace Repairs Office Akisue

A kuzushiji version of the poem's text.
Created with Soan.

JIdai fudō uta’awase 35

Round Thirty-Five

Left

おとにのみきくのしら露よるはおきてひるはおもひにあへずけぬべし

oto ni nomi
kiku no s
hiratsuyu
yoru wa okite
hiru wa omoi ni
aezu kenubeshi
Only a rumour do I
Hear: the chrysanthemum’s white dewdrops,
Fall at night (I lie awake),
And with the day’s weight of sun (laden with thoughts of you am I),
Cannot endure and is gone (as will I be, lest we meet).

69[i]

Right

松がねにをばなかりしきよもすがらかたしく袖に雪はふりつつ

matsu ga ne ni
obana karishiki
yo mo sugara
katashiku sode ni
yuki wa furitsutsu
Upon the pine tree’s roots
Reaped silver grass I’ve spread, and
All through the night
Atop my single spread sleeves
The snow is ever falling…

70[ii]


[i] KKS XI: 470: Topic unknown.

[ii] SKKS X: 929: Composed on the conception of snow at one’s lodgings when travelling.

SKKS X: 929

Composed on the conception of snow at one’s lodgings when travelling.

松がねにをばなかりしきよもすがらかたしく袖に雪はふりつつ

matsu ga ne ni
obana karishiki
yo mo sugara
katashiku sode ni
yuki wa furitsutsu
Upon the pine tree’s roots
Reaped silver grass I’ve spread, and
All through the night
Atop my single spread sleeves
The snow is ever falling…

Master of the Palace Repairs Office Akisue

A kuzushiji version of the poem's text.
Created with Soan.

Jidai fudō uta’awase 34

Round Thirty-Four

Left

われのみやあはれとおもはんきりぎりすなくゆふぐれの山となでしこ

ware nomi ya
aware to omowan
kirigirisu
naku yūkage no
yamato nadeshiko
Is it only I
Who loves it so?
Crickets
Chirping in the evening shadows
On the wild pinks.

Monk Sosei

67[i]

Right

おほゐがは井せきのおとのなかりせばこのはをしけるわたりとやみん

ōigawa
iseki no oto no
nakariseba
ko no ha o shikeru
watari o ya min
Upon the River Ōi
If the weirs sounded
Not, then
At the leaves spread
All around would we even look?

Master of the Palace Repairs Office Akisue

68[ii]


[ii] KKS IV: 244: A poem from the Poetry Competition held by Her Majesty, the Dowager Empress, during the Reign of the Kanpyō emperor.

[iii] KYS III: 248/264: When he was in service at an imperial progress to Ōi.

KYS II: 101

n the Fourth Month of the First Year of the Ōtoku period (1084) at the Sanjō Palace he composed this on the profusion of leaves on the trees in the garden.

たまがしはにはも葉廣になりにけりこや木綿四手て神まつるころ

tamagasiFa
niFa mo Fabiro ni
narinikeri
koya yuFu sidete
kami maturu koro
The oak trees
In the garden in full fledge
Do stand.
Look! Mulberry streamers flutter
For the gods here now!

Major Councillor [Minamoto no] Tsunenobu