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'