Maidenflowers
Left
なびくとや人はみるらんをみなへしおもふかたにぞかぜもふきける
nabiku to ya hito wa miruran ominaeshi omou kata ni zo kaze mo fukikeru | ‘Are they trailing?’ Folk wonder at the sight of The maidenflowers, and As they thought The wind, too, was blowing… |
7
Right
おほかたののべなるよりはをみなへしねやのつまにてみるはまされり
ōkata no nobe naru yori wa ominaeshi neya no tsuma nite miru wa masareri | So wide are The plains, but I’d rather A maidenflower— My wife in the bedchamber: Seeing her is better far! |
8
波流能努尓 紀理多知和多利 布流由岐得 比得能美流麻提 烏梅能波奈知流
春の野に霧立ちわたり降る雪と人の見るまで梅の花散る
paru no no ni kiri tatiwatari puru yuki to pito no miru made ume no pana tiru | In the springtime meadows Filled with spreading mist, As falling snow To folk’s eyes appears The scattering plum blossom. |
Denshi no Makami, Clerk of Chikuzen
筑前目田氏真上
をみなへしなどかあきしもにほふらむはなのこころをひともしれとか
ominaeshi nadoka aki shimo ni niouramu hana no kokoro o hito mo shire to ka | O, maidenflower, Why is it that, of all, in autumn You would glow so bright? Of a fickle flower’s heart Folk to inform, perhaps… |
47
てをとらばひとやとがめむをみなへしにほへるのべにやどやからまし
te o toraba hito ya togamemu ominaeshi nioeru nobe ni yado ya karamashi | Should I put my hands on you, By folk would I be despised, O, maidenflower, so In the meadow where you shine Would I borrow lodging… |
48
ありへてもくちしはてねばをみなへしひとさかりゆくあきもありけり
arietemo kuchishihateneba ominaeshi hito sakariyuku aki mo arikeri | Long has she lingered there, yet Has not begun to wither, but The maidenflower Has folk pass her by, too, When autumn comes. |
43
おほよそになべてをらるなをみなへしのちうきものぞひとのこころは
ōyoso ni nabete oraru na ominaeshi nochi uki mono zo hito no kokoro wa | Perfunctorily, Carelessly, aren’t you plucked, O, maidenflower, And then a cruel thing, indeed, Is a man’s heart… |
44
These are poems which His Majesty had everyone in attendance compose on the day.
わがやどをみなへしひとのすぎゆかばあきのくさばはしぐれざらまし
wa ga yado o mina heshi hito no sugiyukaba aki no kusaba wa shigurezaramashi | Should my house By all the passing folk Be passed by, then Would not the autumn grasses Scatter showers? |
Minamoto no Tsuruna
29
をしめどもえだにとまらぬもみぢばをみなへしおきてあきののちみむ
oshimedomo eda ni tomaranu momijiba o mina heshi okite aki no nochi mimu | I regret it, yet On the branches have not lingered Scarlet leaves— I will press them, every one, To gaze on after autumn’s passing. |
Muneyuki
30
ちとせふるまつといふともうゑてみる人ぞかぞへてしるべかりける
chitose furu matsu to iu tomo uete miru hito zo kazoete shirubekarikeru | Through a thousand years has passed This aged pine they say, yet On planting it, at the sight Folk could count and Know the number well. |
Ise (in a certain volume)
On plucking the zither, playing the flute, and enjoying herself somewhere.
聞く人のみみさへさむく秋風に吹きあはせたる笛のこゑかな
kiku hito no mimi sae samuku akikaze ni fukiawasetaru fue no koe kana | The folk listening Have even had their ear chilled By the autumn breeze Blowing to them together with The flute’s notes! |
Izumi Shikibu (?-976?)
和泉式部
Topic unknown.
春雨はいたくなふりそ桜花まだみぬ人にちらまくもをし
harusame wa itaku na furi so sakurabana mada minu hito ni chiramaku mo oshi | O, spring rains, Foll not so hard! The cherry blossom Is yet unseen by folk who Would regret its scattering |
Akahito
Composed on seeing scattered cherry blossoms floating on the stream at his house.
ここにこぬ人もみよとてさくらばな水の心にまかせてぞやる
koko ni konu Fito mo miyo tote sakurabana midu no kokoro ni makasete zo yaru | To folk who fail to come Here, I’d say, ‘Behold!’ O, cherry blossoms, The water’s heart I’ll trust, to send you on your way. |
Ōe no Yoshitoki
Topic unknown.
心あらむひとのためとやかすむらんなにはのみつのはるのあけぼの
kokoro aramu hito no tame to ya kasumuran naniwa no mitsu no haru no akebono | For sensitive Folks’ sake—do you Seem to haze? At Mitsu in Naniwa The dawn in springtime. |
Former Emperor Gotoba
'Simply moving and elegant'