Autumn
千鳥なくさほの河ぎりたちぬらし山のこのはも色まさりゆく
tidori naku
saFo no kaFagiri
tatinurasi
yama no ko no Fa mo
iro masariyuku | Plovers cry from
The River Sao, where
Mists have risen, it seems;
The leaves of trees upon the mountain, too
Are turning finer hues. |
Anonymous
淡路島かよふ千鳥のしばしばもはねかくまなく恋ひやわたらん
awajishima
kayou chidori no
shibashiba mo
hane kaku ma naku
koi ya wataran | Above Awaji Isle
Back and forth the plovers go
Not even a brief
Break between their wingbeats—
Will my love for her go on and on? |
457
Chinaberry
うぐひすの来の花とのみいふなればあふちどりをばすゑむともせず
uguisu no
ki no hana to nomi
iu nareba
au chidori oba
suemu to mo sezu | The bush warbler
Come simply for the blossom
They do say, but
On meeting a plover, then
You’ll not make it roost there! |
5
This is another acrostic with the name of the plant, ōchi [auchi], contained within au chidori.
Plovers at a famous location.
衣手に浦のまつかぜさえわびてふきあげの月に千どり鳴くなり
koromode ni
ura no matsukaze
saewabite
fukiage no tsuki ni
chidori nakunari | Upon my sleeves
The pinewinds on the shore
Cast an unbearable chill, as
At Fukiage beneath the moon
The plovers cry. |
357
Plovers on a cold night.
風さむみよのふけゆけばいもが島かたみのうらに千鳥なくなり
kaze samumi
yo no fukeyukeba
imogashima
katami no ura ni
chidori nakunari | So chill the wind
As the night wears on
At Imogashima,
On Katami Shore
The plovers cry. |
356
月きよみさ夜更行けばいせしまやいちしのうらに千どりなくなり
tsuki kiyomi
sayo fukeyukeba
iseshima ya
ichishi no ura ni
chidori nakunari | Pure the moon
As brief night wears on
At Ise’s isle—
From the shore at Ichishi
The plovers cry. |
355
よをさむみ浦の松風吹きむすびむしあけの波に千鳥なくなり
yo o samumi
ura no matsukaze
fukimusubi
mushiake no nami ni
chidori nakunari | So cold the night, that
The pinewinds on the shore are
Choked in their blowing, as
Upon the waves at Mushiake
The plovers cry. |
354
Plovers
夕づくよさほの河風身にしみて袖より過ぐる千どり鳴くなり
yūzukuyo
sao no kawakaze
mi ni shimite
sode yori suguru
chidori nakunari | On a moonlit evening
The wind from off the River Sao
Pierces my flesh
Passing o’er my sleeves
Carrying the plovers’ cries. |
351
The moon above the riverside in winter.
千どりなくさほの河原の月きよみ衣手さむしよやふけぬらん
chidori naku
sao no kawara no
tsuki kiyomi
koromode samushi
yo ya fukenuran | Plovers cry, above
The riverside at Sao, where
The pure moon
Is cold upon my sleeves—
Might the night be wearing on? |
341
As a moon poem
月きよみ秋のよいたくふけにけりさほの川原に千鳥しばなく
tsuki kiyomi
aki no yo itaku
fukenikeri
sao no kawara ni
chidori shiba naku | Pure is the moon
On this autumn night so
Late;
From the riverside at Sao
Piercing are the plovers’ cries. |
'Simply moving and elegant'
