Category Archives: Dairi kiku awase

Dairi kiku awase 04

Right

けふひきてくもゐにうつすきくのはなあまつほしとやあすからはみん

kyō hikite
kumoi ni utsusu
kiku no hana
ama tsu hoshi to ya
asu kara wa min
Today do I draw up,
Reflecting in the clouds,
Chrysanthemum blooms—
As stars within the heavens
Might they seem tomorrow?

Kanesuke
8

あたらしきものにざりけるかみなづきしぐれふりにしいろにはあれども

atarashiki
mono ni zarikeru
kaminazuki
shigure furinishi
iro ni wa aredomo
A new
Thing it is not:
In the Godless Month
Showers have fallen
Bringing their hues, and yet…

Kanesuke
9

ひとくさにさけばかひなしももしきにうつりてのちはいろかふなきみ

hitokusa ni
sakeba kainashi
momoshiki ni
utsurite nochi wa
iro kau na kimi
For a single flower
To bloom is pointless, but
When to the hundredfold palace
It is shifted,
It’s hues do change, indeed, my lord!

Korehira
10

うつろふとみゆるものからきくのはなさけりしえだぞかはらざりける

utsurou to
miyuru mono kara
kiku no hana
sakerishi eda zo
kawarazarikeru
A faded
Thing does it appear to be,
This chrysanthemum flower;
Branch where it did bloom
Is unchanged, indeed!

Tsurayuki
11

きくのはなこきもうすきもいままでにしものおかずばいろをみましや

kiku no hana
koki mo usuki mo
ima made ni
shimo no okazuba
iro o mimashi ya
If upon the chrysanthemum flowers,
Both deep and pale,
Up to this day
The frost had not fallen, then
Would I wish to see their hues?

Mitsune
12

はつしぐれふりそめしよりきくのはなこかりしえだぞまたそはりける

hatsu shigure
furisomemeshi yori
kiku no hana
kokarishi eda zo
mata sowarikeru
Since the first showers
Fell to dye
The chrysanthemum blooms
Deepened hues to the stems
Have been added more!

Mitsune
13

もとよりのいろにはあれどきくのはなかたへはうつすところがらかも

moto yori no
iro ni wa aredo
kiku no hana
katae wa utsusu
tokorogara kamo
From before
Had they their hues, yet
The chrysanthemum blooms
Shine in part—
That is their special strength, perhaps!

Mitsune
14

Dairi kiku awase 03

わぎもこがひもゆふぐれのきくなればあかずぞはなのいろはみえける

wagimoko ga
hi mo yūgure no
kiku nareba
akazu zo hana no
iro wa miekeru
My darling girl
Both day and eve is
As a chrysanthemum, so
Never sated am I with this flower’s
Hues I see.

Korenori
5

きくのはなふゆののかぜにちりもせでけふまでとてやしもはおくらん

kiku no hana
fuyu no kaze ni
chiri mo sede
kyō made tote ya
shimo wa okuran
Chrysanthemum blooms
In the winter wind
Scatter not;
Is it that up to today is when
Frost is said to fall?

Korenori
6

かげさへやこよひはにほふきくのはなあまてるつきにかのそはるらん

kage sae ya
koyoi wa niou
kiku no hana
ama teru tsuki ni
ka no sowaruran
Even their shape
Fills tonight with a scented glow; Chrysanthemum blooms
To the heaven-shining moon
Seem to add their fragrance.

Korenori
7

Dairi kiku awase 02

あきすぎてはなざかりなるきくのはないろにたぐひてあきやかへれる

aki sugite
hanazakari naru
kiku no hana
iro ni taguite
aki ya kaereru
Autumn is past and
The flowers richly blooming are
Chrysanthemums:
With their hues
Autumn does return!

Korenori
3

なみとのみうちこそみゆれすみのえのきしにのこれるしらぎくのはな

nami to nomi
uchi koso miyure
suminoe no
kishi ni nokoreru
shiragiku no hana
Simply as waves
Do they, indeed, appear!
At Suminoe
Lingering on the shore
White chrysanthemum blooms.

Korenori
4

Dairi kiku awase 01

Poems from a Chrysanthemum Match held by the Senior Courtier Gentlemen in the presence of His Majesty, 13th day of the Tenth Month, Engi 13.

Left

ちりはててはななきときのはななればうつろふいろのをしくもあるかな

chirihatete
hakanaki toki no
hana nareba
utsurou iro no
oshiku mo aru kana
All scattered now,
For such a brief time are
These flowers here;
The fading of their hues
Is something I regret!


Okikaze
1

しらくものうへにしうつるきくなればいたくをにほへはなとみるべく

shirakumo no
uenishi utsuru
kiku nareba
itaku o nioe
hana to mirubeku
A white cloud,
Planted is this gleaming
Chrysanthemum, so
Bright, indeed, shining
Does the bloom look to be…

Suetada
2

Dairi kiku awase – Preface

On this day, His Majesty instructed the gentlemen in attendance in the Courtier’s Hall to prepare a chrysanthemum each, arranged them into two teams, and judged which were superior or inferior, but I don’t know which those were.

All of the participants entered at the Hour of the Monkey, bringing their assigned flowers. The first team entered via the Gate of Everlasting Blossom, and the second team entered via the Waterfall Door. They proceeded in order, bearing their flowers in vases into the garden. The first team placed their flowers on a display made of stone to resemble an island in a stream, and the second team planted their flowers in a wooden brazier. Two gentlemen from the Chamberlain’s Office, one for each team, presented the blooms to His Majesty.

Captain of the Outer Palace Guards, Left Division, Lord Fujiwara no Sadakata was ordered to present himself before His Majesty, and hear the wins and losses for the ten rounds. The first team won twice and those who had won performed a dance of thanks in the garden.

Four of the various chrysanthemums which had been selected and presented were planted afterwards on the western side of the small garden to the south of the Courtier’s Hall.

On the 9th day of the Twelfth Month, the Gentlemen of the second team were ordered to present the losing blooms – it happens on occasion that chrysanthemums sometimes lose. These should have been presented in the archery ground, but were presented directly in error, because Captain of the Outer Palace Guards, Left Division Sadakata and Supernumerary Middle Counsellor Kiyotsura had been drinking wine and left the Attendants’ Office in the early evening.