On the autumn moon by the sea, for the poetry match held at the Poetry Office on the night of the Fifteenth of the Eighth Month.
わすれじな難波の秋の夜半の空ことうらにすむ月はみるとも
wasureji na naniwa no aki no yowa no sora koto’ura ni sumu tsuki wa miru tomo | Never would I forget Naniwa’s autumn Midnight skies, though Clear above another distant bay The moon I see… |
Gishūmon’in no Tango
Left
あきといへばいまいくたびものこらぬををしむ心もともにつきつつ
aki to ieba ima ikutabi mo nokoranu o oshimu kokoro mo tomo ni tsukitsutsu | Speaking of the autumn, Now, how many times is it that Nothing remains, and With a regretful heart It is ever exhausted? |
45
Right
をしむにもとまらぬあきの立ちゐてはうらみをのみやおもひでにせん
oshimu ni mo tomaranu aki no tachi’ite wa urami o nomi ya omoidenisen | Regrets that Autumn lingers not Arise, so With despite alone Will it be remembered? |
46
Left
をしめどもとまらぬ秋は常盤山もみぢはてぬとみてもゆるさじ
oshimedomo tomaranu aki wa tokiwayama momiji hatenu to mite mo yurusaji | I regret it, yet Autumn lingers not Upon the evergreen mountains The scarlet leaves have yet to end, I see and would not let them go. |
43
Right
としごとにとまらぬ秋とおもひなばてもろき人もをしまざらまし
toshigoto ni tomaranu aki to omoinaba temoroki hito mo oshimazaramashi | If, that every single year Autumn lingers not, I did not think, then Tear-filled folk I would not have regret it. |
44
Left
いまはとてすぎゆく秋のかたみにはかぜのおくれにもみぢをやみん
ima wa tote sugiyuku aki no katami ni wa kaze no okure ni momiji o ya min | Might now be when Departing autumn’s Keepsake is Presented on the breeze: A glimpse of scarlet leaves? |
41
Right
あきながらとしはくれなん紅葉ばをぬさとちらせる山のみねより
aki nagara toshi wa kurenan momijiba o nusa to chiraseru yama no mine yori | It’s autumn, so The year has reached its dusk; Scarlet leaves for A garland are made to scatter From the mountain peaks… |
42
Left
みにそへてもたらぬ秋ををしむとてくれん事こそわびしかりけれ
mi ni soete motaranu aki o oshimu tote kuren koto koso wabishikarikere | It mounts up, Unreliable, autumn Fills me with regret, and That it fades into dusk, indeed, Is truly sad. |
39
Right
もみぢつつしぐれふりいでてゆく秋をみねの朝霧たちもとめなん
momijitsutsu shigure furi’idete yuku aki o mine no asagiri tachi mo tomenan | Ever marked with autumn hues The showers fall on Autumn as it goes; The morning mist around the peak Arises, then lingers on. |
40
Left
おほぞらの心ぞまどふめにみえてわかるる秋ををしむわがみは
ōzora no kokoro zo madou me ni miete wakaruru aki o oshimu wa ga mi wa | The heavens’ Heart lies confused Before my eyes; Departing autumn Leaves me with with nothing but regret. |
37
Right
とどむれどとまらぬ秋ををしむとて心にはかるなをやたちなん
todomuredo tomaranu aki o oshimu tote kokoro ni wa karu na o ya tachinan | I would have it linger, yet It will not—autumn, I regret so Within my heart, briefly Should I call it that? |
38
Left
紅葉ばのながるる河をおしなべてせきぞとどむる秋のをしさに
momijiba no nagaruru kawa o oshinabete seki zo todomuru aki no oshisa ni | Scarlet leaves Flow down the river Everywhere and anywhere, Halting at the fishing weir, All the regrets of autumn… |
35
Right
ちらすなる心のうちまでおのがじしわかるるあきををしみつるかな
chirasu naru kokoro no uchi made ono ga jishi wakaruru aki o oshimitsuru kana | Made to scatter is My heart of hearts, until, Self-centred, Departing autumn Fills me with regret! |
36
Left
くれぬべきあきををしめばをぐら山みねのもみぢもいろづきにけり
kurenubeki aki o oshimeba ogurayama mine no momiji mo irozukinikeri | Pass into dusk must Autumn, so I regret when On Ogura Mountain The scarlet leaves on the peak Have taken on deeper hues! |
33
Right
をしめども秋はとまらず女郎花野べにおくれてかれぬばかりを
oshimedomo aki wa tomarazu ominaeshi nobe ni okurete karenu bakari o | I regret it, yet Autumn will not linger; O, maidenflower, Within the meadows tarry and Simply do not wither away… |
34
Left
まてといひてとまらぬあきと知りながらそらゆく月のをしくもあるかな
mate to iite tomaranu aki to shirinagara sora yuku tsuki no oshiku aru kana | ‘Wait!’ I say, but Autumn will not linger I know, so The moon passing through the skies Fills me with regret! |
31
Right
みやまなるもみぢのにしき色にいでてをしむに秋のたたばうからん
miyama naru momiji no nishiki iro ni idete oshimu ni aki no tataba ukaran | Deep within the mountains The scarlet leaves in brocade’s Hues stand out, so I would regret it were autumn Cut short—how heartless that would be! |
32
Left
秋すぐとねをもなくかなふか草のかげとたのめるむしならなくに
aki sugu to ne o mo naku kana fukakusa no kage to tanomeru mushi naranaku ni | ‘Autumn passes by!’ Goes the cry—though Upon the deep grasses’ Shade relying Are there no insects at all… |
29
Right
いづかたに心をやらんあかずしてすぎゆく秋ををしみとどめで
izukata ni kokoro o yaran akazushite sugiyuku aki o oshimi todomede | Whither Should I incline my heart? Unsatisfied, With autumn’s passing Regrets linger on… |
30
'Simply moving and elegant'