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
Topic unknown.
かりにくとうらみし人のたえにしをくさ葉につけてしのぶころかな
kari ni ku to
uramishi hito no
taenishi o
kusaba ni tsukete
shinobu koro kana |
But briefly would he come to reap,
That wretched man-
But he’s gone and
Leaves of grass are
All I do recall now. |
Sone no Yoshitada
曾禰好忠
Composed when she was Kamo High Priestess, at the shrine buildings.
わすれめやあふひをくさにひきむすびかりねのゝべのつゆのあけぼの
wasureme ya
aoi o kusa ni
hikimusubi
karine no nobe no
tsuyu no akebono |
Will I forget, I wonder,
Hollyhocks for my pillow
Plucked and twined,
Sleeping briefly in the fields
On this dew-drenched dawning. |
Princess Shokushi
式子内親王
Composed as a travel poem.
旅の世にまた旅寐して草枕夢のなかにもゆめをみるかな
tabi no yo ni
mata tabine site
kusa makura
yume no naka ni mo
yume wo miru kana |
In this world of travels
Once again my journey break
Pillowed on the grass,
And within a dream
A dream to see, perhaps. |
Abbot Jien
慈円
A poem composed at a competition held by Her Majesty, the Empress during the Kampyō era (889-898).
戀ひわびてうちぬるなかに行きかよふ夢のただぢはうつつならなむ
wa ga koFi Fa
miyamagakure no
kusa nare ya
sigesa masaredo
siru Fito no naki |
My love:
Hidden in the mountains’ heart are
Grasses-is that it?
Most lush, but
Unknown to all. |
Ono no Yoshiki
'Simply moving and elegant'