Spring
Left
春のたつ霞の衣うらもなく年を経てこそ花の散りけれ
haru no tatsu kasumi no koromo ura mo naku toshi o hete koso hana no chirikere Spring does sew A robe of haze Without an underlay, The year passes by in A scattering of blossom
1
春の野の雪間をわけていつしかと君がためとぞ若菜摘みつる
haru no no no yuki ma o wakete itsushika to kimi ga tame to zo wakana tsumitsuru Across the springtime meadows Do I forge between the snows, Eagerly, so eagerly, For you, my Lord, Have I gathered fresh herbs!
2
春霞かすみこめたる山里はこほりとくともかげはみえじを
harugasumi kasumi kometaru yamazato wa kōri toku tomo kage wa mieji o The haze of spring Blurs all around A mountain retreat, Even were the ice to melt I could see no sign of it!
3
Right
梅枝にきゐる鶯年毎に花の匂ひをあかぬ声する
ume ga e ni ki’iru uguisu toshigoto ni hana no nioi o akanu koesuru Upon the plum tree’s branches Has come to rest the warbler; Every single year, that Of the blossoms’ scent He cannot get his fill he sings.
4
桜色に花さく雨はふりぬとも千しほぞそめてうつろふなそで
sakurairo ni hana saku ame wa furinu tomo chishio zo somete utsurou na sode Cherry-coloured Blossoms flower, as the rain Falls on, yet Dyed a thousand times Fade not, o, my sleeves!
5
青柳のいとはるばると緑なる行末までも思ひこそやれ
aoyagi no ito harubaru to midori naru yukusue made mo omoi koso yare The willow’s Branches dangle lengthily So green Right to the very end Will I fondly think of you.
6
Left
けふも猶雪はふりつつ春霞たてるやいづこ若菜つみてむ
kyō mo nao
yuki wa furitsutsu
harugasumi
tateru ya izuko
wakana tsumitemu
Still yet, today
Is the snow falling;
O, spring haze
Where do you arise?
For I would go and pluck fresh herbs!
3
In no hyakushu, shodo, Eighth Month Shōji 2 [September 1200]
Right
朝氷たがため分て此川のむかへの野べに若菜つむらん
asagōri
ta ga tame wakete
kono kawa no
mukae no nobe ni
wakana tsumuran
This film of morning ice:
For who’s sake do I break it?
On this river’s
Yonder side within the fields
Would I pluck fresh herbs…
4
Naidaijinke hyakushu , Ninth Month Kenpō 3 [October 1215]
Topic unknown.
春日野の飛火野野守いでゝ見よ今幾日ありて若菜摘みてん
kasugano no
tobuFino nomori
idete miyo
ima ikuFi arite
wakana tumiten
On Kasuga Plain,
O, warder of Tobuhi Plain,
Go out and see!
How many days must pass
’til we may pick fresh herbs…
Anonymous
A spring poem, presented in a hundred poem sequence during the reign of former Emperor Sutoku.
若菜摘む袖とぞ見ゆるかすがのゝとぶひのゝべの雪のむらぎえ
wakana tsumu
sode to zo miyuru
kasugano no
tobu hi no nobe no
yuki no muragie
Plucking fresh herbs,
Sleeves do I seem to see
On the plain at Kasuga,
Where the sun dances in the fields
On the patchy snow…
Former Consultant Norinaga
Topic Unknown.
深山には松の雪だにきえなくに宮こは野べのわかなつみけり
miyama ni Fa
matu no yuki dani
kienakuni
miyako Fa nobe no
wakana tumikeri
Deep within the mountains
Not even the snow upon the pines
Has gone, yet
In the fields around the capital
Fresh greens have been picked!
Anonymous
In the Second Month of the Fourth Year of Kenpô (1216), I selected and ordered two hundred of my own meagre works. In the Sixth Month of the following year, I took the order apart and rearranged it somewhat. In the Seventh Year of Kenpô, I secretly presented it to His Majesty, and received an Imperial judgement upon it.
Left (Tie)
春日野にさくや梅が枝雪まより今は春べと若菜つみつゝ
kasugano ni
saku ya ume ga e
yukima yori
ima wa harube to
wakana tsumitsutsu
On Kasuga field,
O, branches of blooming plum blossom!
From the spaces in the snow,
‘Now Spring is come!’
Do we pluck fresh greens.
1
Right
消なくに又やみ山をうづむらん若菜つむ野も淡雪ぞ降
kienakuni
mata ya miyama o
uzumuran
wakana tsumu no mo
awayuki zo furu
Has it not gone, and yet
The mountains’ depths
Does bury?
Upon the fresh-green picking fields
A spume of snow falls on…
2
Fresh Herbs
淺緑野べの霞をしろたへの袖にかさねて若菜つむなり
asamidori
nobe no kasumi o
shirotae no
sode ni kasanete
wakana tsumu nari
Upon the pale green
Hazed fields
White mulberry cloth
Sleeves are laid,
Picking fresh herbs.
降る雪に野守が庵も荒れはてゝ若菜つまむと誰に問はまし
furu yuki ni
nomori ga io mo
arehatete
wakana tsumamu to
tare ni towamashi
In the falling snow
Even the warden’s hut
Is desolate;
‘Can we pick fresh herbs?’
To whom can we ask now?
里人の裾野の雪を踏分てたゞ我ためと若菜つむらん
satobito no
susono no yuki o
fumiwakete
tada wa ga tame to
wakana tsumuran
The village folk
Through the snow upon the mountains’ skirts
Do tread;
Yet, for my sake do any
Pluck fresh herbs, I wonder?
On fresh herbs.
蒟蒻にけふは賣かつ若菜哉
(1688)
'Simply moving and elegant'