On harvesting rice.
よの中は稲かる頃か草の庵
yo no naka wa
ine karu koro ka
kusa no io |
Out in the world
Is it rice harvest time, I wonder,
From within my hut of grass. |
(1685-87)
On dolls.
草の戸も住替はる代ぞひなの家
kusa no to mo
sumi kawaru yo zo
hina no ie |
Even to this hut of thatch
Comes a world of change: getting
Filled up with dolls! |
(1689)
On Spring rain.
春雨や蓬をのばす艸の道
harusame ya
yomogi o nobasu
kusa no michi |
With the spring rains
The mugworts spring up:
A path of grasses. |
(1689)
A poem from a folding screen in the Engi period.
草まくらゆふ風さむくなりにけり衣うつなるやどやからまし
kusamakura
yukaze samuku
narinikeri
koromo utsu naru
yado ya karamashi |
Pillowed on grass,
The evening wind grows chiller
Still;
With the sound of fulling clothes
Shall I, perhaps, find lodging? |
Tsurayuki
貫之
Topic unknown.
秋風はふきむすべどもしらつゆのみだれてをかぬ草の葉ぞなき
aki kaze wa
fukimusubedomo
shiratsuyu no
midarete okanu
kusa no ha zo naki |
The Autumn winds
Blow forming them, yet
Silver dewdrops
In disarray have fallen
On every single blade of grass. |
Dai Ni no Sanmi
大弐三位
Topic unknown.
ゆふさればおぎの葉むけをふくかぜにことぞともなく涙おちけり
yū sareba
ogi no ha muke o
fuku kaze ni
koto zo to mo naku
namida ochikeri |
As the evening falls
The grass fronds
Blow within the wind;
Unable to resist
Tears fall. |
The Gotokudaiji Minister of the Left [Fujiwara no Sanesada] (1139-1191)
Topic unknown.
あはれいかに草葉のつゆのこぼるらん秋風たちぬみやぎのゝはら
aware ikani
kusa ha no tsuyu no
koboruran
akikaze tachinu
miyagino no hara |
Ahh, how much
Can the dew on grass and leaves
Overflow, I wonder?
Now the autumn wind has blown
On the fields of Miyagino. |
The Monk Saigyō
西行
Composed watching fireflies flying upwards.
いづちとかよるは蛍のゝぼるらんゆくかたしらぬ草の枕に
izuchi to ka
yoru wa hotaru no
noboruran
yuku kata shiranu
kusa no makura ni |
Whither bound?
At night the fireflies
Ascend;
Destination unknown,
Pausing briefly, pillowed on the grasses. |
Mibu no Tadami
Topic unknown.
夏草はしげりにけれどほとゝぎすなどわがやどに一聲もせぬ
natsu kusa wa
shigerinikeredo
hototogisu
nado wa ga yado ni
hito koe mo senu |
The summer grasses
Have grown lush and thick, yet,
O, cuckoo
Why at my home
Do you not give a single call? |
The Engi Emperor (Daigo) (885-930; r. 897-930)
Topic unknown.
なつくさはしげりにけりなたまぼこのみちゆき人もむすぶばかりに
natsu kusa wa
shigerinikeri na
tamaboko no
michi yuki hito mo
musubu bakari ni |
The summer grasses
Have grown lush and thick, indeed –
Jewelled spear straight,
The road he travels –
The better he may braid them. |
Fujiwara no Motozane
'Simply moving and elegant'