Tag Archives: 和泉式部

SKS IX: 326

When a man, whom she had been seeing secretly, said that the rustle of clothing was annoying, and moved them out of the way, she composed:

音せぬは苦しきものを身に近くなるとて厭ふ人もありけり

woto senu Fa
kurusiki mono wo
mi ni tikaku
naru tote itoFu
Fito mo arikeri
To make no sound at all (without a man)
Is hurtful, yet
To draw near
And say, ‘It’s noisy!’-a disagreeable
Man must be around!

Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部

SKS IX: 320

When, around the Eighth Month, a man whom she had been conversing with said that ‘his sleeves were wet with dew’, she composed this in reply.

秋は皆思ふことなきおぎの葉も末たわむまで露はおきけり

aki Fa mina
mono’omoFu koto naki
ogi no Fa mo
suwe tawamu made
tuyu Fa okikeri
In Autumn,
Unwracked by cares
The reed fronds too
Hang heavy at the tips
With dewfall upon them.

Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部

SKS IX: 312

When she was abandoned by Yasumasa, she composed this in response to an enquiry by [Fujiwara no] Kanefusa.

人しれず物思ふことはならひにき花に別れぬ春しなければ

Fito sirezu
mono’omofu koto Fa
naraFiniki
Fana ni wakarenu
Faru si nakereba
Out of his thoughts
In desolation-
I am used to it now;
Never parting from the blooms-
There’s no such Spring, at all.

Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部

SKS IX: 311

A man who she had been seeing in secret-what can he have been thinking?-returned home after it was light on the morning of the Fifth Day of the Fifth Month, saying, ‘This morning, I am happy to show myself!’; she composed this in reply.

菖蒲草かりにもくらむものゆへにねやの妻とや人の見る覽

ayamegusa
kari ni mo kuramu
mono yuFe ni
neya no tuma to ya
Fito no miruran
Sweet flags
To pick-and as briefly have you been here-
But even so,
Within lies your wife-as you open the shutters
Is that what folk will see?

Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部

SKS IX: 310

Composed to say they both had reason to be careful, when a man was disappointed that they could not meet easily.

己が身のおのが心に叶はぬを思はゞものは思ひしりなむ

wono ga mi no
ono ga kokoro ni
kanaFanu wo
omoFaba mono Fa
omoFi sirinamu
Within your breast
Lies your desire:
That it has not been met,
If you would think, the reason
You know well enough!

Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部

SKS VIII: 254

While she was waiting eagerly for a man who had promised to come, she heard hailstones falling upon the bamboo leaves before her and composed:

竹の葉に霰ふるよはさらさらに獨はぬべき心地こそせね

take no Fa ni
arare Furu yo Fa
sarasara ni
Fitori Fa nubeki
kokoti koso sene
Among the bamboo leaves
The hailstones fall
With such a roar that
To sleep alone, indeed,
Is something I don’t want at all!

Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部