Tag Archives: blossom

Kinkai wakashū 21

One drizzly morning, when I saw the plum blossom blooming at the Shōchōjuin, and wove a garland from them.

ふる寺の朽木の梅も春雨にそほちて花ぞほころびにける

furudera no
kuchigi no mume mo
harusame ni
sōchite hana zo
hokorobinikeru
At an ancient temple
Even the gnarled plum tree,
By spring showers
Drenched, into blossom
Has burst out!
A kuzushiji version of the poem's text.
Created with Soan.

Teiji-in uta’awase 38

Left

さくはなのちりつつうかぶみづのおもにいかでうき草ねざしそめけむ

saku hana no
chiritsutsu ukabu
mizu no omo ni
ikade ukikusa
nezashi somekemu
Blossom blooming and
Ever scattering, and floating
Upon the surface of the water,
So why might the waterweed
Begin to put down roots?

76

Right

まつひとはつねならなくにほととぎすおもひのほかになかばうからむ

matsu hito wa
tsune naranaku ni
hototogisu
omoi no hoka ni
nakaba ukaramu
The one awaiting you is
Ever changing,
O, cuckoo, but
If, my longing you should not meet
With your song, how I will hate you!

77

Teiji-in uta’awase 20

Left (Tie)

はなみつつをしむかひなくけふくれてほかのはるとやあすはなりなむ

hana mitsutsu
oshimu kainaku
kyō kurete
hoka no haru to ya
asu wa narinamu
Ever do I gaze upon the blossom, in
Vain regret, for
Today will end and
A different spring will
Greet me on the morrow!

Mitsune
39

Right

けふのみとはるをおもはぬときだにもたつことやすきはなのかげかは

kyō nomi to
haru o omowanu
toki dani mo
tatsu koto ya suki
hana no kage ka wa
“Only today is left
Of spring”—I’ll not think that for
Even at such a time,
Is it easy to part from
The blossoms’ shade?

Mitsune
40[i]

‘Both of these are charming,’—they tied.


[i] This poem is included as the final spring poem in Kokinshū (II: 134), attributed to Mitsune, and with the headnote, ‘A poem on the end of spring from the Poetry Contest held by Former Emperor Uda’.

Teiji-in uta’awase 15

Left (Win)

むさしのにいろやかよへるふぢのはなわかむらさきにそめてみゆらむ

musashino ni
iro ya kayoeru
fuji no hana
wakamurasaki ni
somete miyuramu
On Musashi Plain
Are their colours blending?
The wisteria blossom has
The gromwell with violet
Dyed, it seems…

29

Right

あかずしてすぎゆくはるをよぶこどりよびかへしつときてもつげなむ

akazushite
sugiyuku haru o
yobukodori
yobikaeshitsu to
kite mo tsugenamu
Unsated by
The passage of spring,
The songbird
Has called it back—that
Is what I would have him announce!

Okikaze 30

Teiji-in uta’awase 13

Left (Win)

めにみえでかぜはふけどもあをやぎのなびくかたにぞはなはちりける

me ni miede
kaze wa fukedomo
aoyagi no
nabiku kata ni zo
hana chirikeru
Unseen by my eyes
The wind does blow, yet
The green willow
Bends toward
The scattering blossom.

Mitsune
25

Right

あしひきのやまぶきのはなさきにけりゐでのかはづはいまやなくらむ

ashihiki no
yamabuki no hana
sakinikeri
ide no kawazu wa
ima ya nakuramu
Leg-wearying
Mountain kerria flowers
Have bloomed;
In Ide will the frogs
Now be a’singing?

Okikaze
26[i]

‘The Right is old-fashioned,’ and so it lost.


[i] Despite Uda’s negative opinion of it, this poem is included in Shinkokinshū (II: 162), attributed to Okikaze, with the headnote, ‘A poem from the Poetry Contest held by Former Emperor Uda in Engi 13’.

Teiji-in uta’awase 10

Left (Tie)

ふるさとにかすみとびわけゆくかりはたびのそらにやはるをすぐらむ

furusato ni
kasumi tobiwake
yuku kari wa
tabi no sora ni ya
haru o suguramu
Above an ancient estate
Flying through the parting haze
Go the geese:
In the skies they journey through,
I wonder, will they pass the springtime?

Mitsune

19

Right

ちるはなをぬきしとめねばあをやぎのいとはよるともかひやなからむ

chiru hana o
nukishi tomeneba
aoyagi no
ito wa yoru tomo
kai ya nakaramu
The scattered blossom
Has been pierced, but not stayed, so,
The green willow’s
Threaded fronds are spun together, yet
It useless seems…

20

‘“Sewn but not halted”—it really does seem so.’

Teiji-in uta’awase 09

Left (Tie)

ふりはへてはなみにくればくらぶやまいとどかすみのたちかくすらむ

furihaete
hana mi ni kureba
kurabuyama
itodo kasumi no
tachikakusuramu
When with many trials
The blossom have I come to see
Upon Kurabu Mountain
Already does the haze
Seem to rise to conceal them.

Okikaze

17

Right

いもやすくねられざりけりはるのよははなのちるのみゆめにみえつつ

imo yasuku
nerarezarikeri
haru no yo wa
hana no chiru nomi
yume ni mietsutsu
My darling, uneasily,
Does sleep;
On a night in springtime
Scattering blossom, alone,
In her dreams does she ever see…

18

‘These are just about amusing,’ they tied.