The End of Autumn
Left
あきやまはからくれなゐになりにけりいくしほしぐれふりてそめけむ
akiyama wa karakurenai ni narinikeri iku shioshigure furitesomekemu | The autumn mountains To Cathay scarlet Have turned; How many dippings with drizzle Have fallen to dye them so? |
15
Right (Win)
さほやまのははそのもみぢうすけれどあきはふかくもなりにけるかな
saoyama no hahaso no momiji usukeredo aki wa fukaku mo narinikeru kana | On Sao Mountain The oak trees autumn leaves Are pale in hue, yet Most deep has autumn Become! |
Korenori
16
The Middle of Autumn
Left (Tie)
くもゐよりてりやまさるときよたきのそこにてもみむあきのつきかげ
kumoi yori teri ya masaru to kiyotaki no soko nite mo mimu aki no tsukikage | From the clouds Does it shine most bright? On Kiyotaki’s Riverbed I see Autumn moonlight. |
13
Right
人しれぬねをやなくらんあきはぎのはなさくまでにしかのこゑせぬ
hito shirenu ne o ya nakuran aki hagi no hana saku made ni shika no koe senu | That no one may know Quietly, does he cry? Until the autumn bush clover Blooms flower The stag’s bell stays silent. |
Mitsune
14
The Eighth Month.
人しれぬねをやなくらん秋萩の色づくまでに鹿の声せぬ
hito shirenu ne o ya nakuran aki hagi no irozuku made ni shika no koe senu | That no one may know Quietly, does he cry? Until the autumn bush clover Shows fair hues The stag’s bell stays silent. |
Mitsune
When he held a poetry match at his house.
雲ゐより照りやまさると水清み浦にてもみん秋のよの月
kumoi yori teri ya masaru to mizu kiyomi ura nite mo min aki no yo no tsuki | From the clouds Does it shine most bright? In the clear waters By the shore I see The moon this autumn night. |
Taira no Sadafun
やをとめのそでかとぞみるをみなへしきみをいはひてなではじめてき
yaotome no sode ka to zo miru ominaeshi kimi o iwaite nadehajimeteki | As eight sacred maidens’ Sleeves do they appear, The maidenflowers, Celebrating our Lord’s reign With a first gentle touch. |
49
うゑながらかつはたのまずをみなへしうつろふあきのほどしなければ
uenagara katsu wa tanomazu ominaeshi utsurou aki no hodo shi nakereba | I planted them, yet Still unreliable are The maidenflowers, for They fade and autumn Is nothing but brief… |
50
をみなへしなどかあきしもにほふらむはなのこころをひともしれとか
ominaeshi nadoka aki shimo ni niouramu hana no kokoro o hito mo shire to ka | O, maidenflower, Why is it that, of all, in autumn You would glow so bright? Of a fickle flower’s heart Folk to inform, perhaps… |
47
てをとらばひとやとがめむをみなへしにほへるのべにやどやからまし
te o toraba hito ya togamemu ominaeshi nioeru nobe ni yado ya karamashi | Should I put my hands on you, By folk would I be despised, O, maidenflower, so In the meadow where you shine Would I borrow lodging… |
48
ありへてもくちしはてねばをみなへしひとさかりゆくあきもありけり
arietemo kuchishihateneba ominaeshi hito sakariyuku aki mo arikeri | Long has she lingered there, yet Has not begun to wither, but The maidenflower Has folk pass her by, too, When autumn comes. |
43
おほよそになべてをらるなをみなへしのちうきものぞひとのこころは
ōyoso ni nabete oraru na ominaeshi nochi uki mono zo hito no kokoro wa | Perfunctorily, Carelessly, aren’t you plucked, O, maidenflower, And then a cruel thing, indeed, Is a man’s heart… |
44
をとこやまみねふみわけてなくしかはへじとやおもふしひてあきには
otokoyama mine fumiwakete naku shika wa heji to ya omou shiite aki ni wa | Upon Otoko Mountain’s Peak treads A belling stag: I wonder, does he not wish To have to endure the autumn? |
41
をぐらやまみねのもみぢばなにをいとにへてかおりけむしるやしらずや
ogurayama mine no momijiba nani o ito ni hete ka orikemu shiru ya shirazu ya | On Ogura Mountain’s Peak, the scarlet leaves Somehow, as warp threads Crossing, woven seem— Who knows that? No one, I expect! |
42
ときのまもあきのいろをやをみなへしながきあだなにいはれはてなん
toki no ma mo aki no iro o ya ominaeshi nagaki adana ni iwarehatenan | For such a brief time In her autumn hues is A maidenflower, and yet Ever is she faithless Said to be… |
39
あきのののくさをみなへししらぬみははなのなにこそおどろかれぬれ
aki no no no kusa o mina heshi shiranu mi wa ana no na ni koso odorokarenure | Through all the autumn meadows’ Grasses have I passed, yet I know them not, so When I learned her name How surprised I was! |
40
たつたやまあきをみなへしすぐさねばおくるぬさこそもみぢなりけれ
tatsutayama aki o mina heshi sugusaneba okuru nusa koso momiji narikere | On Tatsuta Mountain Autumn for all has Not yet passed by, so Proffered are garlands of Scarlet leaves. |
Motoyori
33
あきぎりをみなへしなびくふくかぜをこのひともとにはなはちるらし
akigiri o mina heshi nabiku fuku kaze o kono hitomoto ni hana wa chirurashi | The autumn mists Have borne down on all With the gusting wind A single stalk of Blooms seems to scatter… |
Yoshikaze
34
'Simply moving and elegant'