あきのよの月のひかりはきよけれどひとのこころのくまはてらさず[1]
aki no yo no
tsuki no hikari wa
kiyokeredo
hito no kokoro no
kuma wa terasazu | On an autumn night
The moon’s light is
So clear, yet upon
Her heart’s
Depths it fails to shine. |
55
ゆふだすきかけてのみこそこひしけれあきとしなればひと
yūdasuki
kakete no koso
koishikere
aki to shi nareba
hito | Cords of mulberry cloth
Hung, are all the more
Dear;
When the autumn comes,
She… |
56
The final words of this poem have not survived, so we need to use our imaginations to think of how it might have concluded.
[1] This poem was included in Gosenshū (VI: 323).
Katsura 桂
なが月の月の光のさゆるかなかつらの枝にしもやおくらん
nagatsuki no
tsuki no hikari no
sayuru kana
katsura no eda ni
shimo ya okuran | In the longest month
The moonlight is
Chill, indeed!
Upon the branches of the silver trees
I wonder, does frost fall? |
Kanemasa
いづ方へ思ひやらまし秋の夜の空にもあまる月の光を
izukata e
omoiyaramashi
aki no yo no
sora ni mo amaru
tsuki no hikari o |
In which direction
Should head my longing?
On an autumn night
The skies are full of
The moon’s light… |
夜もすがら山田の庵は稲妻の光をのみや－灯火にする
yomosugara
yamada no io wa
inazuma no
hikari o nomi ya
tomoshibi ni suru |
All throughout the night
In a hut among the mountain fields,
Is the lightning’s
Light alone the only
Lamp? |
さと遠み山田のいほはいなづまのひかりのもるをともとみるかな
sato tōmi
yamada no io wa
inazuma no
hikari no moru o
tomo to miru kana | Far from home
In the mountain fields a hut
By lightning’s
Light is drenched,
Which we watch together. |
Higo, from the Residence of the Kyōgoku Regent
京極関白家肥後
目もかれずまもる山田のいなづまのひかりにふれてただならずみゆ
me mo karezu
mamoru yamada no
inazuma no
hikari ni furete
tada narazu miyu | Still fresh to my eyes,
The mountain fields I ward
By lightning’s
Light are brushed, and
Appear again anew. |
Toshiyori
Lightning 稲妻
秋の夜のいなばの露にはいなづまのひかりをやどす程は我が身か
aki no yo no
inaba no tsuyu ni
inazuma no
hikari o yadosu
hodo wa wa ga mi ka | On an autumn night
In the dewdrops on the rice fronds
The lightning’s
Light does lodge –
Will I last as long? |
Nakazane
待ちかねて心あかねば稲妻の光にのみぞおどろかれける
matikanete
kokoro akaneba
inaduma no
Fikari ni nomi zo
odorokarekeru |
Unable to wait
My heart is unsatisfied, so
The lightning’s
Single flash
Did startle me so… |
稲妻の光の間にも忘れしと言ひしは人のことにぞありける
inaduma no
Fikari no ma ni mo
wasuresi to
iFisi Fa Fito no
koto ni zo arikeru |
“In the lightning’s
Momentary flash
I did forget”
To have said that is
Truly so like him! |
秋の田の穂の上照らす稲妻の光の間にも君ぞ恋しき
aki no ta no
Fo no uFe terasu
inaduma no
Fikari no ma ni mo
kimi zo koFisiki |
In the autumn fields
Above the ears does flash
The lightning
Its light momentary
As my love for you! |
'Simply moving and elegant'