Left
霜がれの枝となわびそ白雪を花にやとひてみれどもあかず
shimogare no
eda to na wabi so
shirayuki o
hana ni ya toite
miredomo akazu | For the frost-burned
Branches, grieve not, for
White snows
As blossom will visit them, and
The sight will never sate. |
131
Right
嵐ふく山下里にふる雪はとくむめの花咲くかとぞ見る
arashi fuku
yamashitazato ni
furu yuki wa
toku mume no hana
saku ka to zo miru | The storm wind blows
Upon the village ‘neath the mountains, where
Fallen snow,
Long since, had plum blossom
Made seem to bloom? |
132
Right
夏なれば木高き枝になく蟬のかげにかくせる風を恋ふとか
natu nareba
kodakaki eda ni
naku semi no
kage ni kakuseru
kaze wo koFu to ka | When the summer comes,
In the topmost branches of the trees
In the singing cicadas’
Shadows have you hidden
The breeze I love? |
5
A poem from the Poetry Contest held by the Empress Dowager during the reign of the Kanpyō emperor.
吹風や春立ち来ぬと告げつらん枝にこもれる花咲きにけり
Fuku kaze ya
Faru tatikinu to
tuketuran
eda ni komoreru
Fana sakinikeri | Is it the blowing breeze that
Spring’s arrival does
Announce?
For once tightly closed upon the branch
Blossom has bloomed. |
Anonymous
Felicitations 賀
つきもせぬ君がよはひはいくちよとかぎれる竹の枝にやあるらん
tsuki mo senu
kimi ga yowai wa
iku chiyo to
kagireru take no
eda ni ya aruran | Inexhaustible is
My Lord’s age:
How many thousand generations
Limit it – a bamboo
Branch might know! |
Daishin
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
Katsura 桂
なが月の月の光のさゆるかなかつらの枝にしもやおくらん
nagatsuki no
tsuki no hikari no
sayuru kana
katsura no eda ni
shimo ya okuran | In the longest month
The moonlight is
Chill, indeed!
Upon the branches of the silver trees
I wonder, does frost fall? |
Kanemasa
Katsura 桂
人しれずけふをしまつと風はやみかつらの枝を折りもよわらず
hito shirezu
kyō o shimatsu to
kaze hayami
katsura no eda o
ori mo yowarazu | Unknown to all
For today have I made ready –
Amid the rushing wind
The katsura branches will
I break without hesitation! |
Toshiyori
Katsura 桂
我が身には吹くべき風も吹きこねばかつらの枝もをらずぞ有りける
wa ga mi ni wa
fukubeki kaze mo
fukikoneba
katsura no eda mo
orazu zo arikeru | Upon my flesh
I expect the touch of wind, but
Not a gust does come, so
The katsura branches, too,
Have remained unbroken. |
Nakazane
Sakaki 榊
ゆふしでやかけつついのることのははさかきがえだにしげるなるらん
yūshide ya
kaketsutsu inoru
koto no ha wa
sakaki no eda ni
shigerunaruran | Mulberry cloth
Hangs down, while the prayers’
Words
Upon the branches of the sacred trees
Do seem to grow ever thicker! |
Akinaka
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
'Simply moving and elegant'