Tag Archives: cuckoo

Kanpyō no ōntoki chūgū uta’awase 6

Round Six

Left

夏山のみねのこずゑのたかければなく郭公こゑかはるかな

natsuyama no
mine no kozue no
takakereba
naku hototogisu
koe kawaru kana
The summer mountain
Peaks have treetops
So high, that
The crying cuckoo’s
Calls stand for them.

11

Right (Win)

おほあらきのもりの下草茂りあひてふかくも夏のなりにけるかな

ōaraki no
mori no shitagusa
moriaite
fukaku mo natsu no
narinikeru kana
In Ōaraki
Forest the undergrowth
Has grown so thick, that
Deep summer is
Surely here!

Mitsune
12

Kanpyō no ōntoki chūgū uta’awase 5

Round Five

Left (Win)

なつの夜のふすかとすればほととぎす鳴く一声に明くるしののめ

natsu no yo no
fusu ka to sureba
hototogisu
naku hitogoe ni
akuru shinonome
On summer nights,
I’m wondering whether to go to bed, when
A cuckoo’s
Single call
Brightens the dawn.

Ki no Tsurayuki
9

Right

郭公をちかへりなけうなゐこがうちたれがみの五月雨の空

hototogisu
ochikaerinake
unaiko ga
uchitaregami no
samidare no sora
A cuckoo
Calls again and again;
A child’s shoulder-brushing
Hair dangling down:
A summer shower fills the skies.

Ōshikōchi no Mitsune 10[1]


[1] Shūishū II: 116: For a poetry contest at Sadafun’s house.

Horikawa-in Enjo Awase 11

Later, on the second day of the Fifth Month, it appears that everyone, quite losing their composure, decorated their replies extravagantly and even painted pictures beneath them; later, on the seventh day of the same month, because His Majesty sent instructions to the ladies who had been present to compose love poems and attend him, on that day they attended him to present their poems.

ほととぎす待つにつけてもささがにのいづれの世にかしる時ぞ思ふ

hototogisu
matsu ni tsukete mo
sasagani no
izure no yo ni ka
shiru toki zo omou
A cuckoo
I do await, and yet
The tiny crab—
On which night is it?—
Will know the time, I hope!

Echizen
21

しるし有りてこぬよもあれや時鳥中中かけしくものふるまひ

shirushi arite
konu yo mo are ya
hototogisu
nakanaka kakeshi
kumo no furumai
Should there be a sign,
Would there really be a night he failed to come,
That cuckoo?
Truly to be trusted was
The spider’s spinning…

The Major Counsellor
22

A picture of a spider spinning a web.
Image by Ada K from Pixabay

Love VIII: 14

Left (Tie)
人心常は卯月の時鳥ことかたらはん聲を聞かばや

hito kokoro
tsune wa uzuki no
hototogisu
koto kataran
koe o kikaba ya
Her heart is
Ever chill; O, for the Fourth Month
Cuckoo
To tell me
With a gentle song!

Lord Suetsune
1047

Right
足引の遠山鳥の一聲は我つまながらめづらしき哉

ashihiki no
tōyamadori no
hitogoe wa
ware tsumanagara
mezurashiki kana
Leg-wearying
The distant mountain pheasant’s
Call is
Even for his mate
A rare thing, indeed!

Lord Tsune’ie
1048

The Gentlemen of the Right state: the Left’s poem has no faults. The Gentlemen of the Left state: the initial part of the Right’s poem has an antiquated feel.

In judgement: the Left’s ‘cuckoo’ (hototogisu) and the Right’s ‘mountain pheasant’ (yamadori) are of the same level.

Minbukyō yukihira uta’awase 10

Left
時鳥今宵はとまれ片岡の朝の原に帰りやせぬ

Fototogisu
koyoFi Fa tomare
katawoka no
asita no Fara ni
kaFeri ya senu
O, cuckoo
Stay here this night, and
Down the hillside
With the morning to the plain
Will you not return?

19

Right
我が宿に声な惜しみそ時鳥通ふ千里のゆきはてぞ此は

wa ga yado ni
kowe na osimi so
Fototogisu
kayoFu tisato no
yukiFate zo ko Fa
At my home
I regret not your song,
O, cuckoo,
For your thousand league
Journey’s end lies here.

20

Minbukyō yukihira uta’awase 8

Left (Win)
ほかにまた待つ人あれや時鳥心長閑かに声の聞えぬ

Foka ni mata
matu Fito are ya
Fototogisu
kokoro nodoka ni
kowe no kikoenu
Is there any other who still
Awaits as I,
O, cuckoo?
Heart at peace with
Your song unheard…

15

Right
二声と聞かでややまむ時鳥暁近くなりもしぬらむ

Futakowe to
kikade ya yamamu
Fototogisu
akatuki tikaku
nari mo sinuramu
Will your twin cries
Cease before they’re heard,
O, cuckoos?
With approaching dawn
It seems they die…

16

Minbukyō yukihira uta’awase 7

Left
待たせつる程は久しき時鳥飽かで立ちなむ後の恋しさ

mataseturu
Fodo Fa Fisasiki
Fototogisu
akade tatinamu
noti no koFisisa
I was kept waiting
For so long,
O, cuckoo!
Never sated am I of my longing
For you when you are gone…

13

Right (Win)
小夜更けて誰か告げつる時鳥待つにたがはぬ声の聞ゆる

sayo Fukete
tare ka tugeturu
Fototogisu
matu ni tagaFanu
kowe no kikoyuru
The brief night dawns:
To whom will you announce it,
O, cuckoo?
All that I await
Is to hear your song.

14

Minbukyō yukihira uta’awase 6

Left
時鳥雲井の声を聞く人は心も空になりぞしにける

Fototogisu
kumowi no kowe wo
kiku Fito Fa
kokoro mo sora ni
nari zo sinikeru
A cuckoo
From the clouds your call
Folk hear, and
Their hearts with the skies
One do become!

11

Right (Win)
小夜更けて起きて待たずば時鳥はつかなる音もいかで聞かまし

sayo Fukete
okite matazuba
Fototogisu
Fatukanaru ne mo
ikade kikamasi
A brief night dawns, and
Had I not awaited to arise
A cuckoo’s
Momentary cry
Somehow I might have heard…

12

Minbukyō yukihira uta’awase 5

Left (Tie)
仄かなる声を聞きては時鳥鳴きつる方をまづぞ求むる

Fonokanaru
kowe wo kikite Fa
Fototogisu
nakituru kata wo
madu zo motomuru
Your faint
Song I do hear
O, cuckoo,
Along the path you call
Am I in truth invited.

9

Right
小夜更けぬ布留の都の 時鳥帰る雲路の声を聞かせよ

sayo Fukete
Furu no miyako no
Fototogisu
kaFeru kumodi no
kowe wo kikaseyo
The brief night dawns
At the ancient capital of Furu;
O, cuckoo
From your homeward path among the clouds
Let me hear your song!

10