Sakarigoke (Usnea-a type of Spanish Moss)
花の色はただ人さかりこけれどもかへすがへす露はそめける
hana no iro Fa
tada Fito sakari
kokeredomo
kaFesugaFesu zo
tuyu Fa somekeru |
These blossoms’ hue
But briefly flourishes
So richly, yet
Time and time again
Dewdrops stain them. |
Takamuko no Toshiharu
Composed on mamaki no yatate (a wood and bamboo arrow stand).
三倉山真木の屋立ててすむたみ年をつむともくちじとぞ思ふ
mikurayama
maki no ya tatete
sumu tami Fa
tosi wo tumu tomo
kutizi to zo omoFu |
On Mount Mikura
A house of cedar wood stands;
The folk living there,
Will pass through an mound of years, yet
Not die, I feel. |
Minamoto no Toshiyori
源俊頼
Composed on kaki no kara (oyster shells).
榊葉はもみぢもせじを神垣のからくれなゐに見えわたるかな
sakakiba Fa
momidi mo sezi wo
kamigaki no
kara kurenawi ni
miewataru kana |
Leaves of sacred sakaki
Never take on colour, yet
The shrine fence
Is all Cathay crimson
As I gaze along it. |
Dai Ni no Sanmi
大弐三位
Composed on samidare (drizzle).
世のほどにかりそめ人や來たりけむ淀の水こものけさみだれたる
yo no Fodo ni
karisome Fito ya
kitarikemu
yodo no mikomo no
kesa midaretaru |
In the midst of night
Briefly, will someone
Come, I wonder?
In the pools the wild rice
Is disarrayed, this morning. |
Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部
The 49th Day (si ziFu ku niti)
秋風の四方の山よりをのがじしふくにちりぬる紅葉かなしな
aki kaze no
yomo no yama yori
wono ga zisi
fuku ni tirinuru
momodi kanasi na |
The Autumn winds
From every mountain
As each would wish
Blows scattering
The scarlet leaves-how fine! |
Fujiwara no Sukemi
Thrush (tugumi)
咲く花に思ひつくみのあぢきなき身にいたつきの入るも知らずて
saku Fana ni
omoFituku mi no
adikinaki
mi ni itatuki no
iru mo sirazute |
Blossoms in bloom,
I love them so, yet
It’s pointless:
For I may fall ill
I know not when! |
Ōtomo no Kuronushi
Thrush (tugumi)
我が心あやしくあだに春來れば花につく身となどてなりけん
wa ga kokoro
ayasiku ada ni
Faru kureba
Fana ni tuku mi to
nadote nariken |
My heart
Is strangely hollow:
With the coming of the Spring,
I, who love the blossoms so:
What am I to do? |
Ōtomo no Kuronushi
The bridge of Ogawa (wogaFa no Fasi)
筑紫よりこゝまで來れどつともなし太刀のをがはのはしのみぞある
tukusi yori
koko made kuredo
tuto mo nasi
tati no wogaFa no
Fasi nomi zo aru |
From Tsukushi
To this place I’ve come, yet
I find no souvenirs
A leather sword-belt
In fragments, is all. |
Ariwara no Narihira
有原業平
okinowi miyakozima (A place name.)
おきのゐて身をやくよりもかなしきは宮こしまべのわかれなりけり
oki no wite
mi wo yaku yori mo
kanasiki Fa
miyakosimabe no
wakare narikeri |
Placing burning coals
To burn my body hurts less than
The sorrow of
The capital and island shore
Parting. |
Ono no Komachi
小野小町
kure no omo (Fennel)
こし時とこひつつをればゆふぐれのおもかげにのみ見えわたるかな
kosi toki to
koFitutu woreba
yufugure no
omokage ni nomi
miewataru kana |
‘This is when he came,’ I think,
Still full of longing;
In the evening gloom
The image of his face alone
Is all I can see. |
Tsurayuki
貫之
'Simply moving and elegant'