Once she had gone to a temple called Isonokami and, when it grew dark, she decided to return home with the dawn and stayed the night; someone said, ‘Henjō is here,’ so she sent him this to see what his reaction would be.
岩の上旅寢をすればいと寒し苔の衣を我に貸さなん
| iFa no uFe tabine wo sureba ito samusi koke no koromo wo ware ni kasanan |
Atop this crag I am to spend a traveller’s night; So cold! Your robes of moss, Won’t you lend me? |
Ono no Komachi
小野小町
When no one enquired after him after he was in seclusion having lost his job.
おほあらきの森の草とやなりにけんかりにだに來てとふ人のなき
| oFoaraki no mori no kusa to ya nariniken kari ni dani kite toFu Fito no naki |
As the great Araki Forest flowers Am I become? To come and cut them (even for the sake of it) No one visits at all. |
Mibu no Tadamine
壬生忠岑
When he had a particular reason, he entrusted this to the former Grand Minister [Fujiwara no Mototsune (836-891)].
たのまれぬうき世中を歎きつゝ日陰に生ふる身を如何せん
| tanomarenu uki yo no naka wo nagekitutu Fikage ni oFuru mi wo ika ni sen |
Without any expectation In this cruel world Am I overwhelmed with grief; In the sunlight grows Fruit-what am I to do? |
Ariwara no Narihira
有原業平
When she was sunk in gloomy thought, having no regular man.
あまの住む浦漕ぐ舟のかぢをなみ世を海わたる我ぞ悲しき
| ama no sumu ura kogu Fune no kadi wo nami yo wo umi wataru ware zo kanasiki |
The fisherfolk live Within the bay, rowing boats; Without oars They are all at sea-how cruel the world Where I am sunk in sadness. |
Ono no Komachi
小野小町
On the day the Emperor [Kōkō (830-887; r. 884-887)] in the Ninna period (885-889), following the example set in the reign of the Emperor Saga (786-842; r. 809-823), made an excursion to the River Seri.
嵯峨の山みゆきたえにし芹河の千年の古道あとは有りけり
| saga no yama miyuki taenisi seri kaFa no tiyo no furu miti ato Fa arikeri |
His Majesty, Saga’s mountain Excursion is long done, yet By the river Seri For a thousand generations will the ancient ways Leave their mark. |
Ariwara no Yukihira (818-893)
有原行平
When a woman he had been seeing in secret sent to him saying, ‘Why haven’t I heard from you?’
小山田の水ならなくにかく計流そめては絶えん物かは
| woyamada no midu naranaku ni kaku bakari nagare somete Fa taen mono ka Fa |
A mountain paddy’s Water, this is not, so Having thus Begun to flow Shall it cease? Never! |
The Minister of the Right, [Fujiwara no Morosuke (d. 960)]