さ月やみさよふけぬらし時鳥神なび山におのが妻よぶ
satsuki yami
sayo fukenurashi
hototogisu
kaminabiyama ni
ono ga tsuma yobu | In the drizzling dark
It seems brief night has fallen, for
A cuckoo
On the sacred mount
Is calling for his mate. |
五月やみ神なびやまのほととぎす妻ごひすらし鳴くねかなしも
satsuki yami
kaminabiyama no
hototogisu
tsumagoisurashi
naku ne kanashi mo | In the drizzling dark
On the sacred mount
A cuckoo
Longs for his mate, it seems, for
The calls he cries are truly so sad… |
客尓為而 妻恋為良思 霍公鳥 神名備山尓 左夜深而鳴
旅にして妻恋すらし霍公鳥神なび山にさ夜更けて鳴く
tabi ni site
tuma kopisurasi
pototogisu
kamunabiyama ni
sayo pukete naku | On your journey
You must love your wife as I
O, cuckoo,
Upon sacred Kaminabi Mountain
That you cry at brief night’s dawn… |
Anonymous
Sakaki 榊
万代の色もかはらぬためしには神なび山のさか木をぞとる
yorozuyo no
iro mo kawaranu
tameshi ni wa
kaminabiyama no
sakaki o zo toru | Ten-thousand generations
Of unchanging hues
Do they display, so
From the holy mountain
Will I gather sacred sakaki. |
Higo
'Simply moving and elegant'
