鶯の飛火野野辺の雪の内にそれかとばかり匂ふ梅が枝
uguisu no
tobubino nobe no
yuki no uchi ni
sore ka to bakari
niou ume ga e |
The warbler on
The meadows of Tobuhi Plain
Among the snows
Simply wonders if
‘tis the glow of branching plum… |
Gotoba
後鳥羽
白山の松の木影に隱ろへてやすらにすめる雷の鳥かな
shirayama no
matsu no kokage ni
kakuroete
yasura ni sumeru
rai no tori kana |
On Shirayama
Within the shadows of the pines
Concealed,
Peacefully lives
The ptarmigan! |
Gotoba
都人今もこじまの山吹になみをりかくる宇治の川波
miyakobito
ima mo kojima no
yamabuki ni
namiorikakuru
uji no kawanami |
Capital folk,
Now, too, in islets of
Golden kerria
Align, concealed by
The waves on Uji River. |
Emperor Gotoba
後鳥羽院
靡かずは又やは神に手向くべき思へば悲し和歌の浦浪
nabikazu wa
mata ya wa kami ni
tamukubeki
omoeba kanashi
waka no uranami |
If he is heedless
Should I yet to the god
Make offerings?
When I think on it, how sad are
The waves in Waka Bay – the path of poetry |
同じ世に又住の江の月や見む今日こそよその隠岐つ嶋守
onaji yo ni
mata suminoe no
tsuki ya mimu
kyô koso yoso no
oki tsu shimamori |
In this same world
Can yet above Suminoe
The moon be seen?
For today the distant
Isle of Oki’s warder have I become.. |
とへかしな大宮人の情あらばさすがに玉の緒絶えせぬ身を
toekashi na
ômiyabito no
nasake araba
sasuga ni tama no
o daesenu mi wo |
I would they came enquiring,
Had the courtiers
A care for me;
For, indeed, the jewelled
Belt, that is my life, will never break. |
我こそは新嶋守よ隠岐の海のあらき浪風心して吹け
ware koso wa
niishimamori yo
oki no umi no
araki nami kaze
kokoroshite fuke |
I am to be
The new warden of this isle!
Upon the seas around Oki,
O, wild winds,
Blow with care! |
思ふらんさても心や慰むと都鳥だにあらば問はまし
omouran
sate mo kokoro ya
nagusamu to
miyakodori dani
araba towamashi |
I wonder, do you think of me?
And does that your heart
Beguile?
Were a miyakodori
Here, I would ask it. |
故郷の苔の岩橋いかばかりをのれ荒ても戀わたるらん
furusato no
koke no iwabashi
ika bakari
onore aretemo
koiwataruran |
My ancient home’s
Moss-hung stone-built bridges:
What has become of you?
Even though you fall to ruin,
Shall I long for you, on and on. |
とにかくに人の心も見え果てぬ憂きや野守の鏡なるらん
to ni kaku ni
hito no kokoro mo
miehatenu
uki ya nokami no
kagami naruran |
In some way
Into men’s hearts
I have seen all.
As cold as a field warder’s
Mirror, perhaps? |
'Simply moving and elegant'