Composed at a poetry competition at Prince Koresada’s house.
いつはとは時はわかねど秋のよぞ物思ふ事のかぎりなりける
itu Fa to Fa
toki Fa wakanedo
aki no yo zo
mono’omoFu koto yori
kagiri narikeru |
Always
With the seasons? No, yet
On Autumn nights
Sad reveries
Hem me in. |
Anonymous
Topic unknown
物ごとに秋ぞかなしきもみぢつつうつろひゆくをかぎりと思へば
monogotoni
aki zo kanasiki
momiditutu
uturoFiyuku wo
kagiri to omoFeba |
Especially
Sad is autumn;
The Autumn leaves
With changing hues
Still meet their end-think on it… |
Anonymous
Topic unknown
わがためにくる秋にしもあらなくにむしのねきけばまづぞかなしき
wa ga tame ni
kuru aki ni si mo
aranakuni
musi no ne kikeba
madu zo kanasiki |
For my sake alone,
The arrival of Autumn
Does not occur, yet
Listening to the insects’ cries,
First comes sadness. |
Anonymous
Topic unknown.
おほかたの秋くるからにわが身こそかなしき物と思ひしりぬれ
oFokata no
aki kuru kara ni
wagami koso
kanasiki mono to
omoFisirinure |
For all
Does Autumn come, so
I
Am the sad one;
How well I know it. |
Anonymous
Topic unknown.
このまよりもりくる月の影見れば心づくしの秋はきにけり
ko no ma yori
morikuru tuki no
kage mireba
kokorodukusi no
aki Fa kinikeri |
Between the trees
Drips moon
Light, seeing it I know
Heart draining
Autumn, has come at last. |
Anonymous
Composed on the eighth.
けふよりはいまこむ年のきのふをぞいつしかとのみまちわたるべき
keFu yori Fa
ima komu tosi no
kinoFu wo zo
itusika to nomi
matiwatarubeki |
From today
For next year’s
Yesterday,
All eagerness
I have to wait around. |
Mibu no Tadamine (Fl. 898-920)
壬生忠岑
Composed on the dawn of the seventh night.
今はとてわかるる時は天河わたらぬさきにそでぞひちぬる
ima Fa tote
wakaruru toki Fa
ama no kaFa
wataranu saki ni
sode zo hidinuru |
“Now’s the time”
The time we part;
The River of Heaven
I’ve yet to cross, but
My sleeves are dripping. |
Minamoto no Muneyuki
Topic unknown.
こよひこむ人にはあはじたなばたのひさしきほどにまちもこそすれ
koyoFi komu
Fito ni Fa aFazi
tanabata no
Fisasiki Fodo ni
mati mo koso sure |
Tonight should come
Someone, yet we’ll not meet, lest
As the Weaver Maid,
A lengthy stretch
We’ll wait to meet again. |
The Monk Sosei (Active 859-897)
素性法師
Composed on the evening of the Seventh day.
織女にかしつる絲の打ちはへて年のをながくこひやわたらむ
tanabata ni
kasituru ito no
utiFaFete
tosi no wo nagaku
koFi ya wataran |
To the Weaver Maid
We offer thread
Stretched out
A year is far, indeed,
Will love span it, I wonder? |
Ōshikōchi no Mitsune (Fl. 898-922)
凡河内 躬恒
Composed on the evening of the Seventh Day.
年ごとにあふとはすれどたなばたのぬるよのかずぞすくなかりける
tosi goto ni
aFu to suredo
tanabata no
nuru yo no kazu zo
sukunakarikeru |
Every year
She meets him, yet
The Weaver Maid’s
Nights of passion
Are few indeed. |
Ōshikōchi no Mitsune (Fl. 898-922)
凡河内躬恒
'Simply moving and elegant'