雁なきてさむきあらしの吹くなべにたつたの山は色付きにけり
kari nakite
samuki arashi no
fuku nae ni
tatsuta no yama wa
irozukinikeri | The geese cry and
As a chill storm wind
Blows,
The mountain of Tatsuta
Takes on autumn hues. |
A place famous for scarlet leaves
はつかりの羽風のさむくなるままにさほの山べは色づきにけり
hatsukari no
hakaze no samuku
naru mama ni
sao no yamabe wa
irozukinikeri | The first geese:
The breeze from off their wings chill
Does turn and
The mountainside at Sao
Takes on autumn hues. |
Scarlet leaves deep in the mountains
神無月またで時雨やふりにけんみ山にふかきもみぢしにけり
kaminazuki
matade shigure ya
furiniken
miyama ni fukaki
momijishinikeri | In the Godless Month,
Is it that impatiently the showers
Seem to fall?
For deep within the mountains, thick
Are the scarlet leaves… |
Fallen leaves atop the water
暮れて行く秋のみなとにうかぶこの葉あまの釣する舟かともみゆ
kureteyuku
aki no minato ni
ukabu ko no ha
ama no tsurisuru
fune ka to mo miyu | As evening falls
In autumn at the river mouth
The drifting leaves,
As seafolk off fishing
In their boats do seem, perhaps… |
Composed after I had had various people compose on the autumn oak leaves on Mount Sao in a shower.
さほやまのははそのもみぢちぢの色にうつろふ秋は時雨ふりにけり
saoyama no
hahaso no momiji
chiji no iro ni
ustsurou aki wa
shigure furinikeri | Upon Mount Sao
The oaks’ autumn leaves are
A multitude of hues
Shifting in the autumn, for
The showers fall. |
Chrysanthemums
ませのうちによるおくつゆやいかならんぬれつつ菊のうつろひにける
mase no uchi ni
yoru oku tsuyu ya
ika naran
nuretsutsu kiku no
utsuroinikeru | Within my lattice fence,
Of the night-time dewfall
What is to be made?
Ever dampened, the chrysanthemums
Are fading away… |
Gazing at the chrysanthemums in my garden on a rainy night.
露をおもみ籬のきくのほしもあへずはるればくもる村雨の空
tsuyu o omomi
magaki no kiku no
hoshi mo aezu
harureba kumoru
murasame no sora | Weighed down with dew,
The chrysanthemums by my lattice fence
Never get a chance to dry, for
Clearing skies are clouded by
A cloudburst from above. |
On picking a chrysanthemum bloom on a moonlit night
ぬれてをる袖の月かげふけにけり籬のきくの花のうへの露
nurete oru
sode no tsukikage
fukenikeri
magaki no kiku no
hana no ue no tsuyu | Wet, when picking,
Upon my sleeves the moonlight
Has set, for
By the lattice fence, upon the chrysanthemum
Blooms lie dewdrops. |
Composed on fulling clothes
ひとりぬる寝覚にきくぞあはれなるふしみの里に衣うつこゑ
hitori nuru
nezame ni kiku zo
aware naru
fushimi no sato ni
koromo utsu koe | Sleeping solo
On waking do I hear
Most keenly,
In the estate of Fushimi
The sound of fulling clothes… |
Fulling clothes at an ancient estate
みよしのの山した風のさむきよをたれ故郷に衣うつらん
miyoshino no
yamashita kaze no
samuki yo o
tare furusato ni
koromo utsuran | In fair Yoshino
The wind down the mountains
Is chill at night—
Who is it at this ancient estate
That might be fulling clothes? |
'Simply moving and elegant'
