From the Poetry Contest in 1500 Rounds.
風かよふねざめの袖の花のかにかほるまくらの春のよの夢
kaze kayou
nezame no sode no
hana no ka ni
kaoru makura no
haru no yo no yume |
The questing wind
Brings wakefulness to my sleeves,
With the scent of blossom
My fragrant pillow is
A spring night’s dream. |
The Daughter of Master of the Dowager Empress’ Household Office [Fujiwara no] Toshinari
藤原俊成
Topic unknown.
花にあかぬなげきはいつもせしかどもけふのこよひにゝる時はなし
hana ni akanu
nageki wa itsumo
seshikadomo
kyō no koyoi ni
niru toki wa nashi |
Blossoms without end
Ever were a grief
Indeed, yet,
This day’s night
Is like none other. |
Ariwara no Narihira
有原業平
From a hundred-poem sequence.
はかなくてすぎにしかたをかぞふれば花にものおもふ春ぞへにける
hakanakute
suginishi kata o
kazoureba
hana ni mono’omou
haru zo henikeri |
At a loss,
To times gone past
My thoughts return;
Gloomily on blossoms have I thought,
This spring gone by. |
Princess Shokushi
式子内親王
A Spring poem from the Poetry Contest in 1500 Rounds.
いくとせの春に心をつくしきぬあはれとおもへみよしのゝ花
iku tose no
haru ni kokoro o
tsukushikinu
aware to omoe
miyoshino no hana |
For how many years
Has Spring my heart
Left so exhausted?
Think fondly of me, I beg you,
Blossoms of fair Yoshino. |
Master of the Dowager Empress’ Household Office [Fujiwara no] Toshinari
藤原俊成
Her reply:
春ごとに心をしむる花のえにたがなをざりの袖かふれつる
haru goto ni
kokoro o shimuru
hana no e ni
ta ga naozari no
sode ka furetsuru |
Each and every spring
I hang my heart upon
A branch of blossom;
Who might it be, so lightly,
Waving his sleeves? |
Dai Ni no Sanmi
大弐三位
Attached to plum blossom and sent to Daini no Sanmi.
見ぬ人によそへて見つるむめの花ちりなんのちのなぐさめぞなき
minu hito ni
yosoete mitsuru
mume no hana
chirinan nochi no
nagusame zo naki |
In place of an unseen lady
Do I gaze upon these
Plum blossoms;
After they have fallen, they
Will be no consolation… |
Provisional Middle Councillor [Fujiwara no] Sadayori (995-1045)
Composed on plum blossom above a fence.
あるじをばたれともわかず春はたゞかきねのむめをたづねてぞみる
aruji o ba
tare tomo wakazu
haru wa tada
kakine no mume o
tazunete zo miru |
The master here,
I care not who he is;
In spring, ’tis only
The plum upon the fence
I come to see! |
Fujiwara no Atsu’ie (1033-1090)
Topic unknown.
おられけりくれなゐにほふむめのはなけさしろたへに雪はふれゝど
orarekeri
kurenai niou
mume no hana
kesa shirotae ni
yuki wa fureredo |
We could pluck them:
Scarlet hued
Plum blossoms:
So white, this morning,
The snowfall, yet… |
The Uji Former Regent and Prime Minister [Fujiwara no Yorimichi (992-1074)]
As a spring poem:
むめがえになきてうつろふうぐひすのはねしろたへにあはゆきぞふる
mume ga e ni
nakite utsurou
uguisu no
hane shirotae ni
awayuki zo furu |
Upon the plum-tree’s branch
He sings – flapping
The warbler’s
Wings are white as mulberry cloth amidst
The falling snow-spume. |
Anonymous
As a spring poem:
あづさゆみはる山ちかくいゑゐしてたえずきゝつる鶯のこゑ
azusayumi
haru yama chikaku
ie ishite
taezu kikituru
uguisu no koe |
A catalpa bow
Drawn – the mountains in springtime, nearby
I dwell,
Hearing endlessly
The warbler’s song. |
Yamabe no Akahito
山部赤人
'Simply moving and elegant'