Felicitations 賀
我が君をいはひこめつつ竹の枝ちよとちぎるはうれしかりけり
wa ga kimi o
iwaikometsutsu
take no eda
chiyo to chigiru wa
ureshikarikeri | For My Lord
While deep in celebration
Upon a branch of bamboo
‘Live a thousand generations!’ I vow –
What joy! |
Higo
Groves 原
枝ごとにいくそのちよをちぎるらんその神世よりいきの松源
eda goto ni
iku sono chiyo o
chigiruran
sono kamiyo yori
iki no matsubara | In every single branch
Does live the thousand-generation
Vow, perhaps?
Enduring since the Age of Gods,
The sacred pine groves of Iki. |
Higo
Composed on seeing cherry blossom flowing along the stream in the grounds of the Palace of the Crown Prince.
枝よりもあだにちりにし花なればおちても水の泡とこそなれ
eda yori mo
ada ni tirinisi
Fana nareba
otitemo midu no
awa to koso nare | From the branch
Have simply scattered
These blossoms, so they are
Fallen, yet the waters’
Foam have they become. |
Sugano no Takayo
The Iwashimizu Special Festival (石清水臨時祭)
山水のながれにうかふ松が枝にかざしの藤をかけてこそみれ
yamamizu no
nagare ni ukabu
matsu ga e ni
kazashi no fuji o
kakete koso mire | Upon a mountain stream’s
Swift flow floats
A branch of pine
Adornments of wisteria
Seen dangling there… |
Akinaka
On blossom.
春日野に咲きたる萩は片枝はいまだふふめり言な絶えそね
kasugano ni
sakitaru pagi pa
kataeda pa
imada pupumeri
koto na tae so ne |
On Kasuga Plain
Blooms bush clover;
One branch is
Yet in bud, it seems;
Let its words cease not! |
Anonymous
梅が枝の花のねくらば荒れ果てて桜にうつる鶯の声
ume ga e no
hana no nekuraba
arehatete
sakura ni utsuru
uguisu no koe |
A branch of plum
Blossoms was his roost,
All completely ruined now;
To the cherry has shifted
The warbler’s song. |
'Simply moving and elegant'