Plum-scented robes.
うめがかはわが衣手に匂ひきぬ花より過ぐる春の初かぜ
ume ga ka wa wa ga koromode ni nioikinu hana yori suguru haru no hatsukaze | The fragrance of plum My sleeves has Come to scent, Carried from the blossom by The first breeze of spring. |

Plum-scented robes.
うめがかはわが衣手に匂ひきぬ花より過ぐる春の初かぜ
ume ga ka wa wa ga koromode ni nioikinu hana yori suguru haru no hatsukaze | The fragrance of plum My sleeves has Come to scent, Carried from the blossom by The first breeze of spring. |
Composed on plum blossom.
梅がえにこほれる霜やとけぬらんほしあへぬ露の花にこぼるる
ume ga e ni kōreru shimo ya tokenuran hoshiaenu tsuyu no hana ni koboreru | Upon the plum tree’s branches The frozen frost Is melting, it seems— Never-drying dewdrops Overflow the blossom. |
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! |
Lingering snow.
春きては花とか見えんおのづから朽木の杣にふれる白雪
haru kite wa hana to ka mien onozukara kuchigi no soma ni fureru shirayuki | When spring does come As blossom does it seem? Intermittently Upon Timber Mountain’s bare branches Is there fallen snow, so white. |
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
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’.
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
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’.
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.’
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.