Composed at a poetry competition at Prince Koresada’s house.
あめふればかさとり山のもみぢばはゆきかふ人のそでさへぞてる
ame Fureba
kasatoriyama no
momidiba Fa
yukikaFu Fito no
sode saFe zo teru |
When rain falls on
Kasatori Mountain, take your umbrella,
For the scarlet leaves set
Passing folks’
Sleeves alight! |
Tadamine
壬生忠岑
Composed in the region of Moruyama.
しらつゆも時雨もいたくもる山はしたばのこらず色づきにけり
siratuyu mo
sigure mo itaku
moruyama Fa
sitaba nokorazu
irodukinikeri |
The white dewfall and
Showers, too, have completely
Drenched Moruyama:
Every single under-leaf
Has coloured. |
Tsurayuki
貫之
Composed on the occasion of a poetry competition at Prince Koresada’s house.
白露の色はひとつをいかにして秋のこのはをちぢにそむらむ
siratuyu no
iro Fa Fitotu wo
ikanisite
aki no ko no Fa wo
tidini somuran |
White dewdrops
Have but one hue
So why
Are the Autumn tree leaves
Dyed in such a motley? |
Fujiwara no Toshiyuki (d. ca 900)
When he had gone down to Ishiyama, he saw the autumn leaves at Otowayama and composed:
秋風のふきにし日よりおとは山峰のこずゑも色づきにけり
aki kaze no
Fukinisi Fi yori
wotoFayama
mine no kozuwe mo
irodukinikeri |
The Autumn wind
Blew and since that day
On Otowa Mountain
The tips of the trees on the peak
Have been touched with colour. |
Ki no Tsurayuki (Ca. 872-945)
紀貫之
Topic unknown.
もみぢ葉の散りてつもれるわが宿に誰を松蟲ここらなくらむ
momidi ba no
tirite tumoreru
wa ga yado ni
tare wo matumusi
kokora nakuran |
Scarlet leaves
Have fallen, piled deep
Around my house, so
For who does the cricket pine
With such constant chirping? |
Anonymous.
Topic unknown
物ごとに秋ぞかなしきもみぢつつうつろひゆくをかぎりと思へば
monogotoni
aki zo kanasiki
momiditutu
uturoFiyuku wo
kagiri to omoFeba |
Especially
Sad is autumn;
The Autumn leaves
With changing hues
Still meet their end-think on it… |
Anonymous
しぐれの雨閒なくし降れば眞木の葉も爭ひかねて色づきにけり
sigure nö amë
ma nakusi pureba
makï nö pa mo
arasopikanete
irodukinikeri |
Showers of rain
Fall without respite, so
Even evergreens’ leaves
Can fight no longer, and
Take on a hint of colour. |
Composed on yellow leaves.
雁が音の寒き朝明の露ならし春日の山をもみたすものは
kari ga ne nö
samuki asakë nö
tuyu narasi
kasuga nö yama wo
momitasu monö pa |
The cries of geese
With the chilly morning
Dewfall seem
The mount of Kasuga
To turn to autumn colours. |
'Simply moving and elegant'