New Year Archery
ためしとて鷲と鷹とのさつやとりけふたちならすもも敷の庭
tameshi tote
washi to taka to no
satsuya tori
kyō tachinarasu
momoshiki no niwa | ‘Tis the custom:
With eagles and hawks, both
Hunting arrows in hand
Today sounds through
The hundredfold grounds! |
Murata Haru’umi 村田春海 (1746-1811)
New Year Archery
真手つがふ弦音たかし的形のうらめづらしき春の朝庭
mate tsugau
tsuru’oto takashi
matokata no
ura mezurashiki
haru no chōtei | Many hands putting arrow to
Bowstring, the sound so loud;
The targets’ shape
From behind, so rare
At the court in springtime! |
Ueda Akinari 上田秋成 (1734-1809)
New Year Archery
わしといひ鷹とわかれてわたるかなけふのいく羽の雲の上人
washi to ii
taka to wakarete
wataru kana
kyō no ikuha no
kumo no uebito | Eagles, they say
Are from the hawks distinguished
As they cross!
Today how many wings are there
Of folk above the clouds! |
Kamo no Mabuchi 賀茂真淵 (1697-1769)
New Year Archery
引きつづき雲ゐのまとゐ昨日といひけふのま弓の春も珍らし
hikitsuzuki
kumoi no matoi
kinō to
ii kyō no mayumi no
haru mo mezurashi | Drawn one after another
Within the clouds the company
‘Yesterday!’ they
Said, but today fair bows
Of spring strung—so rare! |
New Year Archery
まひもけふかた分く弓の勝負にいでやとりどり心引くらん
mahi mo kyō
katawaku yumi no
kachimake ni
ide ya toridori
kokoro hikuran | The fair sun, too, today,
Upon the teams of bows,
Winners and losers,
Shine, that all
Will have their hearts inspired! |
Mushanokōji Sanekage 武者小路実陰 (1661-1738)
New Year Archery
雲のうへや春のはじめの梓弓ゐまちの月にいづるもろ人
kumo no ue ya
haru no hajime no
azusayumi
imachi no tsuki ni
izuru morobito | Above the clouds,
At the start of spring,
With catalpa bows
Beneath the eighteenth night’s moon
Emerge the crowds! |
New Year Archery
くれかかる雲ゐの庭の継射にたちいづる袖のめづらしきかな
kurekakaru
kumoi no niwa no
keisha ni
tachi’izuru sode no
mezurashiki kana | Twilight draws in,
Clouds above the grounds, where
Shooting in turns,
Sleeves are raised—
A rare sight! |
Sanjōnishi Sanetaka 三条西実隆 (1455-1537)
New Year Archery
たちわたる春のまといのともねまできこえて高き雲の上人
tachiwataru
haru no matoi no
tomone made
kikoete takaki
kumo no uebito | Arriving all around
With spring the company,
Bracers together:
The raised voices of
The folk above the clouds! |
Shōtetsu 正徹 (1381-1459)
New Year Archery
すべらぎのむつのまぼりのあづさゆみけふここのへにひきつらぬらし
suberagi no
mutsu no mabori no
azusayumi
kyō kokonoe ni
hikitsuranurashi | His Majesty’s
Six guardians’
Catalpa bows
Today within the ninefold walls
Seem to have been drawn. |
New Year Archery (From the Fifty Poem Sequence on Six Topics (Contd.), 28th day of the First Month, Bun’ei 6 [2.3.1269].
梓弓はるの雲井に引きつれていそがすいての心をぞしる
azusayumi
haru no kumoi ni
hikitsurete
isogasu ite no
kokoro o zo shiru | Catalpa bows
Beneath the clouds of spring
All drawn;
Hurried to the shooting
By the knowing of their hearts! |
'Simply moving and elegant'