松浦なる玉島川に鮎釣ると立たせる子らが家道知らずも
matura naru
tamasima ni
ayu turu to
tataseru kora ga
ipedi sirazu mo |
On Matsura’s
Jewelled islets
Catching sweetfish
Stand many maidens:
Their route home I do not know… |
Ōtomo no Tabito
松浦川川の瀬光り鮎釣ると立たせる妹が裳の裾濡れぬ
maturagapa
kap no se pikari
ayu turu to
tataseru imo ga
mo no suso nurenu |
“At Matsura River
From the rushing waters shining
Sweetfish I will catch,”
So says my darling, standing there
Her dress-hem drenched! |
Ōtomo no Tabito
Cormorant Fishing on the River(鵜河)
大井河う舟にともすかがり火のかかる世にあふあゆぞはかなき
ōigawa
ubune ni tomosu
kagaribi no
kakaru se ni au
ayu zo hakanaki | On the River Ōi
The cormorant boats’ kindled
Torches
Reflect off the rushing rapids;
What sorrow for the sweetfish! |
Daishin
Cormorant Fishing on the River (鵜河)
かひのぼるう舟のなはのしげければせぶしのあゆの行かたやなき
kainoboru
ubune no nawa no
shigekereba
sebushi no ayu no
yuku kata ya naki | Heading upstream
The cormorant boats’ hawsers
Are so many that
Sweetfish through the rapids
Have no path to take! |
Higo, from the Residence of the Kyōgoku Regent
年のはに鮎し走らば辟田河鵜八つ潜けて河瀬尋ねむ
tosi no pa ni
ayu si pasiraba
sakitagapa
u yatu kadukete
kapase tadunemu |
Every year
When the sweetfish run so swift
At Sakita River
Many cormorants do gather, and
Sport among the river rapids |
Ōtomo no Yakamochi
年ごとに鮎しはしれば沢田川鵜やつかつけて川瀬たづねむ
toshigoto ni
ayu shi hashireba
sawadagawa
u yatsu kazukete
kawase tazunemu |
Every year
When the sweetfish run so swift,
At Sawada River
The cormorants do gather, and
Sport among the river rapids! |
'Simply moving and elegant'