[One of] ten personal laments.
捨てて後は紛れし方は覚えぬを心のみをは世にあらせける
sutete nochi wa
magireshi kata wa
oboenu o
kokoro nomi oba
yo ni arasekeru |
Having been abandoned
One sunk in insignificance
Will not be remembered, and
His spirit alone
Appears in the world! |
Saigyō
西行
[One of] ten poems on love.
さりと夜とほのかに人を見つれども覚えぬ夢の心地こそすれ
sari to yo to
honka ni hito o
mitsuredomo
oboenu yume no
kokochi koso sure |
So it was that with the night
Briefly did
I see her, yet
As a dream I cannot recall
Do I feel it was… |
Saigyō
西行
Composed for the chief priest at the same shrine, on praying to the deities for love.
天下る神の印のありなしをつれなき人の行方にてみん
ama kudaru
kami no shirushi no
arinashi o
tsurenaki hito no
yukue nite min |
Descending from heaven
Deities, a sign
Provide me and
That heartless girl’s
Location reveal! |
Saigyō
西行
Love on visiting after hearing a name
逢はざらんことをは知で帚木の伏屋と聞きて尋ねきにけり
awazaran
koto o ba shirade
hahakigi no
fuseya to kikite
tazunekinikeri |
That we would not meet,
All unknowing;
Of your mirage-tree
Resting place did I hear, and
Come to call… |
Saigyō
西行
Composed at his hut in the mountains, after becoming a monk.
山里は庭の梢の音待ても世をすさみたる景色なるかな
yamazato wa
niwa no kozue no
oto matemo
yo o susamitaru
keshiki kana |
In a mountain dwelling,
From the treetops in the grounds
I await a sound, yet
How awful I feel is the world
Laid before me… |
Saigyō
西行
A place famous for its moon.
なべてなほ所の名をや惜しむらん明石はわきて月のさやけき
nabete nao
tokoro no na o ya
oshimuran
akashi wa wakite
tsuki no sayakeki |
In general
Does the place’s name
Have anything to regret?
Akashi is particular for
The purity of the moon… |
Saigyō
西行
Topic unknown.
小笹原葉末の露は玉に似て石なき山を行く心地する
ozasawara
hazue no tsuyu wa
tama ni nite
ishinaki yama o
yuku kokochisuru |
In the groves of young broad-leaved bamboo
Dewdrops on the leaf-tips
Resemble jewels;
Through mountains with no rocks
I feel as if I travel! |
Saigyō
西行
On seeing attractive-looking ivy on a crude house.
思はずによしある賤の栖かな蔦の紅葉を軒に這はせて
omowazu ni
yoshi aru shizu no
sumika kana
tsuta no momiji o
noki ni hawasete |
Unexpectedly
Pleasant is this peasant’s
Dwelling place!
With scarlet ivy
Trailing across its eaves… |
Saigyō
西行
In the same conception – that of the moon over Hirosawa Pond – when people were composing poetry at the Henjō Temple.
宿しもつ月の光のををしさはいかにいへども広沢の池
yadoshi motsu
tsuki no hikari no
ooshisawa
ika ni iedomo
hirosawa no ike |
Lodging had
The moon’s light there:
Of magnificence,
All I can say is:
The pond at Hirosawa! |
Saigyō
西行
When he was composing on the autumn moon.
葎しく庵の庭の夕露を玉にもてなす秋の夜の月
mukurashiku
iori no niwa no
yūzuyu o
tama ni motenasu
aki no yo no tsuki |
Tangled weeds spread around
The garden of my hut;
Evening dew
A garland of jewels
From the moon this autumn night. |
Saigyō
西行
'Simply moving and elegant'