Monkeys 猿
あしびきの山べにあそぶ木の葉ざるおもふ心ぞありて鳴くなる
ashibiki no
yamabe ni asobu
ko no ha zaru
omou kokoro zo
arite nakunaru | On the leg-wearying
Mountain slopes play
Monkeys among the leaves—
Human feelings do
They have, and so they cry. |
Higo
Spiders 蜘蛛
かきたえてとひくる人もなきものを空だのめするささがにのいと
kakitaete
toikuru hito mo
naki mono o
soradanomesuru
sasagani no ito | Truly, oh so truly,
Callers coming
Are there none, so
I’ll trust in the unreliable
Spider’s webs… |
Higo
Zithers 筝
くり返しむかしのことをひきかけてしらぶるからにねこそながるれ
kurikaeshi
mukashi no koto o
hikikakete
shiraburu kara ni
ne koso nagarure | Time and time again
An ancient zither
Is played, and
When tuned, its
Notes flow all the better! |
Higo
Flutes 笛
此さとに神楽やすらん笛の音のさ夜ふけがたにきこゆなりけり
kono sato ni
kagura ya suran
fue no ne no
sayo fukegata ni
kikoyu narikeri | At this hamlet,
I wonder, is there sacred dance?
For a flute’s notes
At brief night’s breaking
Do I hear. |
Higo
Next Door 隣
もろともにまぢかきほどにすまひしていざ垣ごしに物語せん
morotomo ni
majikaki hodo ni
sumaishite
iza kakigoshi ni
monogatarisen | Together
Cheek by jowl
We live,
So, through the fence gap
Do we chat together! |
Higo
Boats 船
わたつ海にただよふ舟のうきしづみそこをとまりとなきぞわびしき
wata tsu umi ni
tadayou fune no
ukishizumi
soko o tomari to
naki zo wabishiki | Upon the broad sea sweep
The drifting boats both
Float and sink –
That there they will not always remain is
Indeed, depressing! |
Higo
Seafolk 泉郎
かのきしにわたりつきぬるあまを舟いかにのりえてうれしかるらん
kano kishi ni
wataritsukinuru
ama o fune
ika ni noriete
ureshikaruran | To yonder shore
Have crossed
The fisher-folk; their boats—
How might I board them, and
Feel the selfsame joy? |
Higo
Old Folk 老人
toshitsuki no
yuki tsumoru ni mo
kurokami no
kawaru sugata no
hazukashiki kana | With the months and years
Snow drifts up upon
My raven tresses – their
Changing form is
So embarrassing! |
Higo
Singing Girls 妓女
からころもたちもはなれて朝夕にめかれずみれどあかぬいもかな
karakoromo
tachi mo hanarete
asayū ni
mekarezu miredo
akanu imo kana | Her Cathay robe is
Sewn so fine, that
Morning and evening, too
Endlessly, I see her, yet
My darling does never sate me! |
Higo
Wang Zhaojun 王昭君
おとろふるひなの別のかなしさにきずなき玉の身をぞうらむる
otorouru
hina no wakare no
kanshisa ni
kizunaki tama no
mi o zo uramuru | A fading
Fledging’s parting is
So sad –
A flawless gemstone
Life only to be despised! |
Higo
'Simply moving and elegant'