Composed for the Palace Poetry Match in Eishō 4.
あらしふくみむろの山のもみぢばはたつたの川のにしきなりけり
| arasi Fuku mimuro no yama no momidiba Fa tatuta no kaFa no nisiki narikeri | The storm wind blowing Down Mimuro Mountain makes The scarlet leaves Upon the Tatsuta River A fine brocade. |
Monk Nōin
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 (Win)
したひてもとめまほしきはいまはとて秋のゆくらんかたぞしられぬ
| shitaitemo tomemahoshiki wa ima wa tote aki no yukuran kata zo shirarenu | These fair hues I would detain For now, I say, for Whither autumn might go Is unknown to all… |
19
Right
もみぢばをにしきとみゆる秋なればたつををしとや鹿のなくらん
| momijiba o nishiki to miyuru aki nareba tatsu o oshi to ya shika no nakuran | The scarlet leaves as Brocade do appear In autumn, so Is it regret that departure cuts them short That makes the stag cry out? |
20
Left
秋の月草むらわかずてらせばややどせる露を玉とみすらん
| aki no tsuki kusamura wakazu teraseba ya yadoseru tsuyu o tama to misuran | Does the autumn moon Not forge through the grassy thickets As it shines? For The dewdrops it lodges there It seems to display as jewels. |
114
Right
なほざりに秋のみやまに入りぬれば錦のいろの衣をこそきれ
| naozari ni aki nomi yama ni irinureba nishiki no iro no kinu o koso kire | Easily, indeed, Does autumn, simply, to the mountains Enter in, so In garb the hue of Brocade do they clothe themselves! |
115
Left
ひぐらしに秋の野山をわけくれば心にもあらぬ錦をぞきる
| higurashi ni aki no noyama o wakekureba kokoro ni mo aranu nishiki o zo kiru | When at sundown Through the autumn mountain meadows I come forging, Lying not within my heart, Brocade I am, indeed, cutting! |
84
Right
秋といへばあま雲までにもえにしを空さへしるくなどか見ゆらん
| aki to ieba amagumo made ni moenishi o sora sae shiruku nado ka miyuran | ‘Autumn’ is when Even as far as heaven’s clouds Have burned, but Why does the sky Seem so clear? |
85
Winter
Left
冬くれば紅葉ふりしく神無月佐保の山辺はむべもりぬらん
| fuyu kureba momiji furishiku kaminazuki saho no yamabe wa mube morinuran | When the winter comes, Scarlet leaves, falling and scattering In the Godless Month, Upon the slopes of Mount Saho, Indeed, are at their finest. |
19
冬ごもりかれてみゆらん梅がえは今はた花の春はにほはん
| fuyugomori karete miyuran ume ga e wa ima hata hana no haru wa niowan | Sealed in winter, and All withered seeming, The plum tree’s branches, Now, for sure, the blossoms’ Spring will scent. |
20
冬みれば水もまかせぬ小山田にいつすき返し種をまきけん
| fuyu mireba mizu mo makasenu oyamada ni itsu sukikaeshi tane o makiken | ‘Tis winter, I see, so There’s no water to draw for The little mountain paddies: O, when might I till them, and Sow my seeds, I wonder? |
21
Right
時雨降る宿にすまへば冬の夜に錦とみゆる木木の花かな
| shigure furu yado ni sumaeba fuyu no yo ni nishiki to miyuru kigi no hana kana | Showers fall Upon the house where I do dwell, so Upon a winter’s night As brocade do seem The blossoming trees! |
22
ゆふだすき神の社にかけつればしもし降るにもたのもしきかな
| yūdasuki kami no yashiro ni kaketsureba shimo shi furu ni mo tanomashiki kana | Sacred mulberry cords Around the God’s shrine Are hung, so Even amidst the frost fall, The future does seem bright! |
23
白雲のふたへふりしくときは山うらはへとしはみどりなりけれ
| shiragumo no futae furishiku tokiwa yama ura hae toshi wa midori narikere | Clouds of white Lie scattered, twofold, upon The unchanging mountain: Stretching out behind, the year Is simply green. |
24
Topic unknown.
もみぢばのながるるあきはかはごとににしきあらふとひとはみるらん[1]
| momidiba no nagaruru aki Fa kaFa goto ni nisiki araFu to Fito Fa miruramu | The scarlet leaves Flow and in autumn By every river Washing their brocade Folk can be seen! |
Anonymous
[1] This poem is included in the Poetry Contest at Prince Koresada’s House (Koresada shinnō-ke uta’awase) 69.
もみぢばのながるるあきはかはごとににしきあらふとひとはみるらん[1]
| momijiba no nagaruru aki wa kawa goto ni nishiki arau to hito wa miruramu | The scarlet leaves Flow and in autumn By every river Washing their brocade Folk can be seen! |
ひしくればよるもめかれじきくのはなあきすぎぬればあふべきものか
| hi shi kureba yoru mo mekareji kiku no hana aki suginureba aubeki mono ka | When the day is here, At night you do escape my sight, O, chrysanthemums; When autumn has passed by, I wonder shall we meet again? |
70
さをしかのしがらみふする秋はぎはたまなす露ぞつつみたりける
| saoshika no shigarami fusuru akihagi wa tama nasu tsuyu zo tsutsumitarikeru | Ah, the stag, Entangled, tripped On the autumn bush clover; Dewdrops turned gemlets Have wrapped him all around. |
21
かみなみのみむろの山をわけゆけばにしきたちきる心ちこそすれ
| kaminami no mimuro no yama o wakeyukeba nishiki tachikiru kokochi koso sure | Deities dwell Upon Mount Mimuro, where I forge my way, Cutting and sewing the brocade of leaves, I feel! |
22