Composed on the moon at dawn at a mountain retreat.
やまざとのかどたのいねのほのぼのとあくるもしらず月を見るかな
yamazato no kadota no ine no Fonobono to akuru mo sirazu tuki o miru kana | At a mountain retreat, that The rice seedlings in the paddy ‘fore my gate Are dimly Brightening, I know not, for My gaze is on the moon! |
Middle Counsellor Akitaka
中納言顕隆
Expressing true feelings.
恋ひ死なば恋ひも死ねとか我妹子が我家の門を過ぎて行くらむ
kopisinaba
kopi mo sine to ka
wagimoko ga
wagipe no kadeo wo
sugite yukuran |
“If one can die of love, then
Do so!” says
My darling girl
As before my dwelling’s gate
She seems to go by! |
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection
柿本人麻呂歌集
Two poems composed on birds.
我が門ゆ鳴き過ぎ渡る霍公鳥いやなつかしく聞けど飽き足らず
wa ga kado yu
nakisugiwataru
pototogisu
iya natukasiku
kikedo akitarazu |
By my gate,
Singing, passes
The cuckoo;
O, but he does move me so –
I listen, yet can never get my fill… |
Ōtomo no Yakamochi
When the house of Bishop Mokuban burnt down, I sent a message, with this, to his mother.
出でにける門のほかをし知らぬ身は問ふべき程もさたすきにけり
idenikeru
kado no Foka wo si
siranu mi Fa
toFubeki Fodo mo
sada suginikeri |
Departed
Through that other gate have you, while
In ignorance, I,
When I should have known,
Have passed my time. |
Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部
'Simply moving and elegant'