A single poem presented in reply by Prince Toneri.
安之比奇能 山尓由伎家牟 夜麻妣等能 情母之良受 山人夜多礼
あしひきの やまにゆきけむ やまびとの こころもしらず やまびとやたれ
asipiki no
yama ni yukikemu
yamabito no
kokoro mo shirazu
yamabito ya tare
| To the leg-wearying
Mountains seeming to have gone
An immortal’s
Heart I cannot know, but
Who might that immortal be? |
春楊 葛山 発雲 立座 妹念
はるやなぎ かづらきやまに たつくもの たちてもゐても いもをしぞおもふ
paru yanagi
kadurakiyama ni
tatu kumo no
tatite mo wite mo
imo wo si zo omopu | Spring willows
Cap Kazuraki Mountain, where
Clouds rise, but
Rising or remaining
My darling is ever in my thoughts |
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection
梓弓 末之腹野尓 鷹田為 君之弓食之 将絶跡念甕屋
adusayumi
suwe no parano ni
togarisuru
kimi ga yuduru no
taemu to omoFe ya | A catalpa bow
On the plain at Sue
A’hawking—
As your bowstring,
I wonder: will I be able to endure? |
Anonymous
大海尓 荒莫吹 四長鳥 居名之湖尓 舟泊左右手
おほうみに あらしなふきそ しながとり ゐなのみなとに ふねはつるまで
opoki umi ni
arasi na puki so
sinagatori
wina no minato ni
pune patsuru made | Across the sea so wide,
Blow not so, o storm wind! Until
At waterbird-filled
Ina port
My boat has come to rest… |
安都麻道乃 手児乃欲婢佐可 古要弖伊奈婆 安礼波古非牟奈 能知波安比奴登母
あづまぢの てごのよびさか こえていなば あれはこひむな のちはあひぬとも
adumadi no
tego no yobisaka
koete inaba
are pa kopinamu na
noti pa apinuru tomo | On eastland roads lies
Tego-no-Yobisaka:
When I pass across it,
How filled am I with yearning,
Even should we meet once more… |
神風之 伊勢乃浜荻 折伏 客宿也将為 荒浜辺尓
かむかぜの いせのはまをぎ をりふせて たびねやすらむ あらきはまべに
kamukaze no
ise no pamawogi
woripusete
tabine ya suramu
araki pamabe ni | Divine winds blow
Cogon grass on the shore at Ise
I weave and lay me down—
Should I doze upon my travels?
On this wild beachside… |
[One of] Six poems new poems to harmonise and follow those on plum blossom, when he was at Dazai.
民布由都芸 芳流波吉多礼登 烏梅能芳奈 君尓之安良祢婆 遠久人毛奈之
みふゆつぎ はるはきたれど うめのはな きみにしあらねば おくひともなし
mipuyu tugi
paru pa kitaredo
ume no pana
kimi ni si araneba
oku pito mo nasi | After deep winter’s passing
Spring has come, and yet
The plum blossom
Is not you, my love, so
There’s no one to beckon me here… |
Ōtomo no Fumimochi
A poem on warblers by Ōtomo sukune Yakamochi.
打霧之 雪者零乍 然為我二 吾宅乃苑尓 鶯鳴裳
うちきらし ゆきはふりつつ しかすがに わぎへのそのに うぐひすなくも
utikirasi
yuki pa puritutu
sikasuga ni
wagipe no sono ni
ugupisu naku mo | All is darkened by
The ever-falling snow,
But even so
Within the garden of my home
Sings a warbler! |
打靡 春去来者 小竹之末丹 尾羽打触而 鶯鳴毛
うちなびく はるさりくれば しののうれに をはうちふれて うぐひすなくも
utinabiku
paru sarikureba
sino no ure ni
wopa utipurete
ugupisu naku mo | When, trailing in,
Comes spring,
The leaf-tips of the arrow bamboo
Brush against the wings and tail
Of the singing warbler! |
From the Poetry Match held by Tsurayuki in the Second Month. Tengyō 2 – The Middle of Winter.
しら雪の降りつもりぬるおく山はあからがしはもうづもれにけり
shirayuki no
furitsumorinuru
okuyama wa
akaragashiwa
uzumorenikeri | Snow, so white,
Has fallen, drifted high,
Deep within the mountains
The scarlet-leaved oaks
Are completely buried. |
Anonymous
'Simply moving and elegant'
