Original
やまざとはふゆぞさびしさまさりけるひとめもくさもかれぬとおもへば
yamazato wa
fuyu zo sabishisa
masarikeru
hitome mo kusa mo
karenu to omoeba | In a mountain retreat
Winter’s loneliness
Overwhelms
As both folks’ gaze and the grasses, too
Have withered away, I feel… |
Minamoto no Toshiyuki
6
Left (Tie)
おほかたのあきはあはれのふかければやまざとならでなほぞかなしき
ōkata no
aki wa aware no
fukakereba
yamazato narade
nao zo kanashiki | In general, when
Autumn’s sorrow
Is at its deepest
‘Tis not only a mountain retreat
That is still sunk in sadness! |
7
Right
やまざとはいつともわかじいとどしくあきはしかこそかなしかるらめ
yamazato wa
itsu to mo wakaji
itodoshiku
aki wa shika koso
kanashikarurame | A mountain retreat
Fails to stand out—
Most of all
In autumn does the stag
Seem so sad! |
8
水の泡や種となるらむ浮草のまく人なみの上に生ふれば
mizu no awa ya
tane to naruramu
ukikusa no
maku hitonami no
ue ni oureba | Might the foam upon the waters
Be its seeds, perhaps?
When the drifting waterweed
Twines atop a wave
Where it does grow… |
1[i]
山里は冬ぞさびしさまさりける人めも草もかれぬとおもへば
yamazato wa
fuyu zo sabishisa
masarikeru
hitome mo kusa mo
karenu to omoeba | In a mountain retreat
Winter’s loneliness
Overwhelms
As both folks’ gaze and the grasses, too
Have withered away, I feel… |
2[ii]
今日人をこふる心はあすか川流るる水に劣らざりけり
kyō hito o
kouru kokoro wa
asukagawa
nagaruru mizu ni
otorazarikeri | Today, for her
The love within my heart,
By the River Asuka’s
Running waters
Will not be outdone! |
3[iii]
[i] This poem is included in Shūishū (IX: 524) as an anonymous poem with the headnote ‘Produced but not matched in a poetry contest.’
[ii] This poem is included in Muneyuki-shū (15) with the headnote ‘For a poetry match’.
[iii] This poem is included in Muneyuki-shū (16) with the headnote ‘For a poetry match’.
Left
ひくるればひとめのもりにぬるとりのあかつきがたになきつつぞたつ
hi kurureba
hitome no mori ni
nuru tori no
akatsukigata ni
nakitsutsu zo tatsu | Since the setting of the sun
Avoiding others’ eyes within the forest
Slept a bird that
At the edge of dawn
Sobbing, does depart! |
22
Right
ねをあさみそこをはなるるうきくさのけさのおきにぞながれわびぬる
ne o asami
soko o hanaruru
ukikusa no
kesa no oki ni zo
nagare wabinuru | Shallow the roots
Separating from the river’s bed,
Of the drifting waterweed,
This morning rising,
Swept away in desolation! |
23
A poem from the Poetry Contest held by the Empress Dowager during the Reign of the Kanpyō Emperor.
住の江のきしによる波夜さへや夢のかよひ路人めよくらむ
suminoe no
kisi ni yoru nami
yoru saFe ya
yume no kayoFidi
Fitome yokuramu | On Suminoe’s
Shore break waves;
Even at night
Upon the path of dreams
Can we avoid others’ prying eyes? |
Lord Fujiwara no Toshiyuki
Created with Soan.
Left
あさかげに我が身はなりぬ白雲のたえてきこえぬ人をこふとて
asakage ni
wa ga mi wa narinu
shirakumo no
taete kikoenu
hito o kou tote | In the morning light
I have become
A cloud of white that
Says, endlessly, that
I do love you. |
188
Right
ちかけれど人め人めをもるころは雲井はるけき身とやなりなん
chikakeredo
hitome hitome o
moru koro wa
kumoi harukeki
mi to ya narinan | Close by, they are, yet
When against prying, prying eyes
I would be on guard,
Completely cloudless
Could I appear? |
189
Left
住吉のきしによる波夜さへや夢のかよひ路人めよくらむ
sumiyoshi no
kishi ni yoru nami
yoru sae ya
yume no kayoiji
hitome yokuramu | On Sumiyoshi’s
Shore break waves;
Even at night
Upon the path of dreams
Can we avoid others’ prying eyes? |
186
Right
夕附夜おぼろに人を見てしより天雲はれぬ心地こそすれ
yūzukuyo
oboro ni hito o
miteshi yori
amagumo harenu
kokochi koso sure | On a moonlit evening
Faintly, a lady
Did I see, and ever since
Heaven’s clouds, unclearing,
Weigh on my feelings… |
187
A poem from the Empress’ Poetry Competition held in the Kanpyō period.
住の江の岸による浪夜さへや夢の通ひ路人目よくらむ
suminoe no
kisi ni yoru nami
yoru saFe ya
yume no kayoFidi
Fitome yokuramu |
As to Suminoe’s
Shore rush the waves
Why every night
Upon the path of dreams
Do I hide from other’s eyes? |
Fujiwara no Toshiyuki
藤原敏行
'Simply moving and elegant'
