Composed on geese.
かりなきて秋風さむく成りにけりひとりやねなんよるの衣うすし
kari nakite
akikaze samuku
narinikeri
hitori ya nenan
yoru no koromo usushi | The geese are crying, and
The autumn wind
So chill has grown,
Shall I, then, sleep alone
In a scanty night robe? |
Geese above the sea
わたのはら八重のしほぢにとぶかりのつばさの波に秋風ぞふく
wata no hara
yae no shioji ni
tobu kari no
tsubasa no nami ni
akikaze zo fuku | Across the broad sea sweep
Of eightfold sea-lanes
Fly the geese,
Their wings a wave
In the gusting autumn wind |
Geese at a hut among the paddy fields in the evening
かりのゐる門田のいなばうちそよぎたそかれ時に秋風ぞふく
kari no iru
kadota no inaba
uchisoyogi
tasogaredoki ni
akikaze zo fuku | The geese come to rest
Among the rice-seedlings before my door,
Rustling softly
At the twilight hour
With a breath of autumn wind. |
Geese in the evening
夕さればいなばのなびく秋風に空とぶかりの声もかなしや
yū sareba
inaba no nabiku
akikaze ni
ama tobu kari no
koe mo kanashi ya | When the evening comes,
Rice seedlings bend before
The autumn wind, as
The heaven-flying goose
Calls are so sad! |
秋風はあやななふきそ白露のあだなるのべのくずのはのうへに
akikaze wa
aya na fuki so
shiratsuyu no
adanaru nobe no
kuzu no ha no ue ni | O, autumn wind,
Blow not so heedlessly!
For silver dewdrops
Briefly rest upon the meadow’s
Kudzu creepers’ leaves… |
Composed when I had gone hawking to a place called Togami Plain, and saw orchids blooming before a ruined hut.
秋風になににほふらん藤ばかまぬしはふりにしやどとしらずや
akikaze ni
nani niouran
fujibakama
nushi wa furinishi
yado to shirazu ya | In the autumn breeze,
Why do they shine so bright?
Do the purple petals, that
The master of this ancient
Dwelling is no more, not know? |
Orchids
藤ばかまきてぬぎかけし主やたれとへどこたへずのべの秋風
fujibakama
kite nugikakeshi
nushi ya tare
toedo kotaezu
nobe no akikaze | A garb of purple petals,
Stripped off and hung here—
‘Who might your mistress be?’
Asks, yet gets no answer:
The autumn wind across the plains. |
Composed on the conception of evening.
たそがれに物おもひをれば我が宿の荻のはそよぎ秋風ぞふく
tasogare ni
mono’omoi oreba
wa ga yado no
ogi no ha soyogi
akikaze zo fuku | With the twilight
Gloom fills my thoughts, when
At my home
The silver grass frond rustle—
On blows the autumn wind! |
On seeing silver grass in the grounds at dawn.
朝ぼらけ荻のうへふく秋風にしたばおしなみ露ぞこぼるる
asaborake
ogi no ue fuku
akikaze ni
shitaba oshinami
tsuyu zo koboruru | Just as dawn is breaking
Over the silver grass blows
The autumn breeze—
All pressed down together, the lower fronds
Shed dewdrops. |
Bush clover in the grounds.
秋風はいたくな吹きそわがやどのもとあらの小萩ちらまくもをし
akikaze wa
itaku na fuki so
wa ga yado no
motoara no kohagi
chiramaku mo oshi | O, autumn breezes,
Blow not so fiercely!
For at my home
The scanty bush clover’s
Scattering around I do regret! |
'Simply moving and elegant'
