Left
ちらねどもかねてぞをしき紅葉ばは今はかぎりの色とみつれば
chiranedomo
kanete zo oshiki
momijiba wa
ima wa kagiri no
iro to mitsureba | Not fallen yet
Even now is there something to regret
In the scarlet autumn leaves,
For already the utmost of
Their hues do I see, so… |
96[1]
Right
白波に秋の木のはのうかべるはあまのながせる舟かとぞ見る
shiranami ni
aki no ko no ha no
ukaberu o
ama no nagaseru
fune ka to zo miru | Atop the whitecaps
Autumn leaves
Float as
Divers’ drifting
Boats seeming. |
97[2]
[1] Kokinshū V: 264/Shinsen man’yōshū 105.
[2] Kokinshū V: 301, attributed to Fujiwara no Okikaze/Kokin rokujō III: 1825, attributed to Kiyowara no Fukayabu.
Left
あき風にほころびぬらむ藤ばかまつづりさせてふきりぎりす鳴く
akikaze ni
hokorobinuramu
fujibakama
tsuzurisase chō
kirigirisu naku | The autumn wind
Seems to have burst the buds of
The asters
‘Sew them back together!’ say
The crickets’ cries. |
Ariwara no Muneyana
94
Right
秋の夜のあめときこえて降りつるは風に散りつる紅葉なりけり
aki no yo no
ame to kikoete
furitsuru wa
kaze ni chiritsuru
momiji narikeri | On an autumn night
The sound of rain
Falling is
The wind scattered
Scarlet leaves. |
95
Left
雁のねは風にきほひてわたれどもわが待つ人のことづてぞなき
kari no ne wa
kaze ni kioite
wataredomo
wa ga matsu hito no
kotozute zo naki | The goose cries
Competing with the wind
Come across, yet
From the man I’m waiting for
There is no word at all… |
92
Right
大空をとりかへすとも見えなくにほしかとみゆる秋の草かな
ōzora o
torikaesu tomo
mienaku ni
hoshi ka to miyuru
aki no kusa kana | The heavens
Claimed back, they
Do not appear to be, yet
Somehow, they seem like stars:
These autumn grasses! |
93
Left
白露に風のふきしく秋の野はつらぬきとめぬ玉ぞちりける
shiratsuyu ni
kaze no fukishiku
aki no no wa
tsuranukitomenu
tama zo chirikeru | Silver dewdrops are
Blown by the wind
Across the autumn meadows;
No longer threaded,
The jewels are scattered. |
90
Right
いつのまに秋穂たるらむ草と見しほどいくかともへだたらなくに
itsu no ma ni
akiho taruramu
kusa to mishi
hodo ikuka to mo
hedataranaku ni | In an instant
The autumn ears seem to droop down;
Though as grasses they looked
With no more than a few short days
Standing in between… |
91
Left
をみなへし匂へる野辺にやどりせばあやなくあだの名をやたちなん
ominaeshi
nioeru nobe ni
yadoriseba
ayanaku ada no
na o ya tachinan | A maidenflower
Shines in the meadows, and
Should I find lodging there,
Carelessly, would fickle
Rumour arise? |
Ono no Yoshiki
88
Right
秋風にさそはれ来つる雁がねの雲ゐはるかにけふぞ聞ゆる
akikaze ni
sasowarekitsuru
kari ga ne no
kumoi haruka ni
kyō zo kikoyuru | On the autumn breeze
Has come, inviting,
A goose’s cry
From among the distant clouds
Today I hear it. |
89
Left
あきの野の草のたもとか花薄ほに出でてまねく袖とみゆらん
aki no no no
kusa no tamoto ka
hanasusuki
ho ni idete maneku
sode to miyuran | In the autumn meadows
Are the grasses cuffs
Fronds of silver grass?
The emerging ears beckoning
Sleeves do appear to be, I feel. |
Ariwara no Muneyana
86
Right
山の井は水なきごとぞみえわたる秋の紅葉のちりてかくせば
yama no i wa
mizu naki goto zo
miewataru
aki no momiji no
chirite kakuseba | The mountain wells
Lack water, every one: for
Gazing across
With autumn scarlet scattered
Leaves they are concealed… |
Okikaze
87
Left
ひぐらしに秋の野山をわけくれば心にもあらぬ錦をぞきる
higurashi ni
aki no noyama o
wakekureba
kokoro ni mo aranu
nishiki o zo kiru | When at sundown
Through the autumn mountain meadows
I come forging,
Lying not within my heart,
Brocade I am, indeed, cutting! |
84
Right
秋といへばあま雲までにもえにしを空さへしるくなどか見ゆらん
aki to ieba
amagumo made ni
moenishi o
sora sae shiruku
nado ka miyuran | ‘Autumn’ is when
Even as far as heaven’s clouds
Have burned, but
Why does the sky
Seem so clear? |
85
Left
おく山に紅葉ふみわけ鳴く鹿の声きく時ぞ秋はかなしき
okuyama ni
momiji fumiwake
naku shika no
koe kiku toki zo
aki wa kanashiki | Deep within the mountains
Forging through the scarlet leaves
When a belling stag’s
Cry I hear, indeed,
Autumn is so sad. |
82
Right
わがために来る秋にしもあらなくに虫の音聞けば先ぞかなしき
wa ga tame ni
kuru aki ni shimo
aranaku ni
mushi no ne kikeba
saki zo kanashiki | Not for my sake
Has autumn come
And yet,
When the insects’ cries I hear
What lies ahead is sad, indeed. |
83
Left
我のみやあはれとおもはむきりぎりす鳴く夕かげのやまとなでしこ
ware nomi ya
aware to omowan
kirigirisu
naku yūkage no
yamato nadeshiko | Is it only I
Who loves it so?
Crickets
Chirping in the evening shadows
On the wild pinks. |
Sosei
80[1]
Right
秋の野の草はいととはみえなくにおく白露の玉とつらなる
aki no no no
kusa wa ito to wa
mienaku ni
oku shiratsuyu no
tama to tsuranaru | In the autumn meadows
The grasses, threads
Do not appear to be, yet
The fallen silver dewdrop
Gems are strung upon them. |
Tsurayuki
81
[1] Kokinshū IV: 244
Autumn Poems Twenty Rounds
Left
あき風に初雁がねぞ響くなるたが玉章をかけて来つらむ
akikaze ni
hatsukari ga ne zo
hibikunaru
ta ga tamazusa o
kaketekitsuramu | The autumn wind
With the first goose calls does
Echo
Whose jewelled missives
Have they come bearing, I wonder? |
Tomonori
78
Right
浦ちかくたつ秋霧はもしほやく煙とのみぞ見え渡りける
ura chikaku
tatsu akigiri wa
moshio yaku
keburi to nomi zo
miewatarikeru | Close by the bay
Rising autumn mist, as
Seaweed salt burning
Smoke simply
Appears everywhere. |
79[1]
[1] Gosenshū VI: 273/Shinsen man’yōshū 325/Kokin rokujō I: 652
'Simply moving and elegant'