五月雨の－黄昏時は－月影の－朧けにやは－我が人を待つ
samidare no
tasogaredoki Fa
tukikage no
oboroke ni ya Fa
wa ga Fito o matu |
Drizzle at
The hour of dusk
Makes the moonlight
Mistily uncertain
As I await my man… |
Ōshikōchi no Mitsune
凡河内躬恒
Topic unknown.
わが戀はゆくへも知らずはてもなしあふをかぎりと思ふばかりぞ
wa ga koFi Fa
yukuFe mo sirazu
Fate mo nasi
aFu wo kagiri to
omoFu bakari zo |
My yearning
Goes, I know not where,
On a never-ending journey;
A meeting would set the bounds
On my love-that’s the only thought that fills me. |
Ōshikōchi no Mitsune
凡河内躬恒
Sent to a woman whom he had grown accustomed to seeing who served in the same place.
伊勢の海にしほやくあまの藤衣なるとはすれとあはぬ君かな
ise no umi ni
siFo yaku ama no
Fudi koromo
naru to Fa suredo
aFanu kimi kana |
By the sea at Ise,
Brine-burning, the fisher-folks’
Violet garb
Is a familiar sight-as are you, yet
I have not met you, have I? |
Ōshikōchi no Mitsune
凡河内躬恒
Topic unknown.
ちとせふるおのへの松は秋風の聲こそかはれいろはかはらず
chi tose furu
onoe no matsu wa
aki kaze no
koe koso kaware
iro wa kawarazu |
A thousand years aging,
The pines upon the peak,
In the Autumn winds
Give inconstant tongue,
Colours unchanging. |
Mitsune
躬恒
On a folding screen in the Engi Period (901-923).
春さめのふりそめしよりあをやぎのいとのみどりぞ色まさりける
harusame no
furisomeshi yori
aoyagi no
ito no midori zo
iro masarikeru |
Spring rains
First fell, staining, since then,
The lush willows’
Threads with green-
The colour darkening. |
Ōshikōchi no Mitsune
凡河内躬恒
On the last day of the intercalary Third Month.
常よりものどけかりつる春なれど今日の暮るゝは飽かずぞありける
tune yori mo
nodokekarituru
Faru naredo
keFu no kururu Fa
akazu zo arikeru |
More than usual
Has this been a peaceful
Spring, yet even so
The darkening of this day
I truly cannot bear. |
Mitsune
躬恒
Topic unknown.
春立と思心はうれしくて今一年の老いぞ添ひける
Faru tatu to
omoFu kokoro Fa
uresikute
ima Fito tose no
oi zo soFikeru |
Spring is come:
With such a feeling in my heart
I am glad, indeed;
Now yet another year
Of age is laid upon me. |
Ōshikōchi no Mitsune
凡河内躬恒
In answer:
さ牡鹿のしがらみふする秋萩は下葉や上になりかへるらん
sa wosika no
sigarami Fusuru
aki Fagi Fa
simoba ya uFe ni
nari kaFeruran |
Ah, the stag,
Entangled, tripped
On the autumn bush clover;
The under-leaves to the top
Have been turned, perhaps? |
Mitsune
躬恒
From the poetry contest at the Teiji Palace.
三千年になるてふ桃の今年より花咲く春にあひにける哉
miti tose ni
naru teFu momo no
kotosi yori
Fana saku Faru ni
aFinikeru kana |
Every three thousand years,
’ Tis said, the peach bears fruit;
And in this year
It blossomed with the spring:
That’s what we have chanced across. |
Mitsune
躬恒
Topic unknown.
むつごともまだつきなくにあけぬめりいづらは秋のながしてふよは
mutugoto mo
mada tukinaku ni
akenumeri
idura Fa aki no
nagasi teFu yo Fa |
Our sweet nothings
Are not done yet
Dawn is breaking, it seems.
Where has it gone-this autumn
So-called long night? |
Ōshikōchi no Mitsune
凡河内躬恒
'Simply moving and elegant'