Composed on the wind in springtime.
さくらばな咲きてむなしく散りにけりよしのの山はただ春の風
sakurabana
sakite munashiku
chirinikeri
yoshino no yama wa
yoshi haru no kaze | The cherry blossom
Briefly blooms, then
Is scattered;
In the mountains of Yoshino
All that’s left is the spring breezes… |
Created with Soan.
さくらばなちりかひかすむ春のよのおぼろ月よのかもの河風
sakurabana
chiri kaikasumu
haru no yo no
oborozukiyo no
kamo no kawakaze | Cherry blossom
Scattering, is hazily blended
On this spring night
With the misty moon
By the breeze upon the Kamo River. |
行く水に風のふきいるる桜花ながれてきえぬあわかとぞ見る
yuku mizu ni
kaze no fuki’iruru
sakurabana
nagarete kienu
awa ka to zo miru | Into the rushing waters
The wind has blown
Cherry blossom
Flowing as imperishable
Foam does it appear. |
Created with Soan.
Fallen blossom at the water’s edge.
やま桜木木のこずゑに見しものを岩間の水にあわとなりぬる
yamazakura
kigi no kozue ni
mishi mono o
iwama no mizu ni
awa to narinuru | The mountain cherry blossom
Upon the trees’ tops
Did I see, but
As water through the craggy rocks’
Foam, it was… |
Created with Soan.
Fallen blossom by a lake.
山かぜのさくら吹きまきちる花のみだれてみゆるしがのうらなみ
yamakaze no
sakura fukimaki
chiru hana no
midarete miyuru
shiga no uranami | The mountain wind’s
Gusts, scattering cherry blossom round,
Strewn petals
In seeming confusion
Upon the waves on Shiga’s shore. |
Created with Soan.
やま風の桜吹きまく音すなりよし野の滝の岩もとどろに
yamakaze no
sakura fukimaku
otosu nari
yoshino no taki no
iwa mo todoro ni | The mountain wind’s
Gusts scatter cherry blossom round,
Dropping it with
The Yoshino waterfall’s
Roar upon the rocks… |
滝のうへのみふねのやまの山桜かげにうきてぞ花も散りける
taki no ue no
mifune no yama no
sakurabana
kage ni ukite zo
hana mo chirikeru | Upon the waterfall
On Mifune Mountain
Cherry blossoms’
Shapes are floating as
The petals scatter. |
Created with Soan.
I sent this to a lady after composing it.
春くれど人もすさめぬ山桜風のたよりにわれのみぞとふ
haru kuredo
hito mo susamenu
yamazakura
kaze no tayori ni
ware nomi zo tou | The spring has come, yet
There is no one to sing the praises of
The mountain cherry blossom;
A breeze-borne note
Comes calling on my solitude. |
さくらばなさくとみし間に散りにけり夢かうつつか春の山風
sakurabana
saku to mishi ma ni
chirinikeri
yume ka utsutsu ka
haru no yamakaze | The cherry blossom
Had but bloomed before my eyes, when
They scattered—
Was it a dream, or reality:
That spring breeze from the mountains? |
Blossom despising the wind.
心うき風にもあるかな桜ばな咲くほどもなく成りぬべらなる
kokoro uki
kaze ni mo aru kana
sakurabana
saku hodo mo naku
narinuberanaru | How heartless
The wind must be!
The cherry blossom
Had but begun to bloom when
It came upon them. |
Created with Soan.
'Simply moving and elegant'
