A poem composed at a competition held by Her Majesty, the Empress during the Kampyō era (889-898).
わが宿の菊のかきねにをく霜のきえかへりてぞ戀しかりける
| wa ga yado no kiku no kakine ni woku simo no kiekaFerite zo koFisikarikeru |
At my house On chrysanthemums by the fence The frost settles only to Vanish and return again; Even so is my love. |
Ki no Tomonori
紀友則
Topic unknown.
をとにのみきくの白露よるはおきてひるは思ひにあへずけぬべし
| woto ni nomi kiku no siratuyu yoru Fa okite Firu Fa omoFi ni aFezu kenubesi |
Only a rumour do I Hear: the chrysanthemum’s white dewdrops, Fall at night (I lie awake), And with the day’s weight of sun (laden with thoughts of you am I), Cannot endure and is gone (as will I be, lest we meet). |
The Monk Sosei
素性法師
When he was commanded to compose a poem upon chrysanthemums, during the Kanpyō period.
久方の雲のうへにて見る菊は天つ星とぞあやまたれける
| Fisakata no kumo no uFe nite miru kiku Fa ama tu Fosi to zo ayamatarekeru |
Far distant, The clouds: being above them Do I see chrysanthemums From the stars of Heaven Indistinguishable. |
Toshiyuki
It is said he composed this poem on being summoned into the Courtiers’ Room, before having permission to be there.
Composed at a time he was thinking of how piteous was the world of men, and saw a chrysanthemum flower.
秋の菊にほふかぎりはかざしてむ花よりさきとしらぬわが身を
| aki no kiku niFoFu kagiri Fa kazasitemu Fana yori saki to siranu wa ga mi wo |
Chrysanthemums in Autumn: While they shine I’ll wear them in my hair, For sooner than the flowers’ May come my ending. |
Tsurayuki
貫之
Composed on a chrysanthemum planted beside a picture of Osawa pond.
ひともとと思ひしきくをおほさはの池のそこにもたれかうゑけむ
| Fitomoto to omoFisi kiku wo oFosaFa no ike no soko ni mo tare ka uwekemu |
There’s a single stem- I thought-of chrysanthemum, yet At Osawa Pond, within there is another; Who planted it, I wonder? |
Ki no Tomonori
紀友則
A poem tied to a chrysanthemum before it was planted in someone’s garden.
うゑしうゑば秋なき時やさかざらむ花こそちらめねさへかれめや
| uwe si uweba aki naki toki ya sakazaramu Fana koso tirame ne saFe kareme ya |
If well planted, And Autumn came not Would it still bloom-of course, it would! And the flowers scatter Were it to wither to the root? |
Ariwara no Narihira
在原業平