Cathay Folk 唐人
うな原やはかたのおきにかかりたるもろこし舟に時つぐるなり
unabara ya
hakata no oki ni
kakaritaru
morokoshibune ni
toki tsuguru nari | Across the seabed
To the offing by Hakata
Have trailed
Ships from far Cathay and
There will they spend some time. |
Kanemasa
Sages’ Dwellings 仙宮
のりて行くつるの羽風に雲晴れて月もさやけくすむ山べかな
norite yuku
tsuru no hakaze ni
kumo harete
tsuki mo sayakeku
sumu yamabe kana | Carried on
The cranes’ wing-breeze,
The clouds part and
The moon, so bright, and
Clear shines on this mountainside! |
Kanemasa
The Seventh Night 七夜
おしてるや鵜のはぶきける昔もやこよひはちよと祝ひそめけん
oshiteru ya
u no habukikeru
mukashi mo ya
koyoi wa chiyo to
iwaisomeken | Bright shining,
Did the cormorants beat their wings
In times long gone, too?
Tonight, for a thousand generations
Shall we begin to celebrate! |
Kanemasa
Felicitations 賀
我が君のよはひたけたるうれしさは大宮人の身にあまるらん
wa ga kimi no
yowai taketaru
ureshisa wa
ōmiyabito no
mi ni amaruran | My Lord’s
Age has reached such lofty heights –
Could the joy of
Courtiers all
Be any greater? |
Kanemasa
Coming of Age 元服
かぞ色の友にいのればふたりさすしそくのかげにちよぞこもれる
kazoiro no
tomo ni inoreba
futari sasu
shizoku no kage ni
chiyo zo komoreru | The parents’
Together pray;
Both show
In their boy’s face,
Hidden for a thousand generations. |
Kanemasa
Waterweed 萍
ふる河のとだえをわたるたび人のもすそにあをくつける萍
furukawa no
todae o wataru
tabibito no
mosuso ni aoku
tsukeru ukikusa | An ancient river’s
Broken bridge a’crossing goes
A traveller,
Her skirt-hem greenly
Gripped by waterweed… |
Kanemasa
Dwarf Bamboo 小篠
葉をしげみ道見えずとてやすらへばそよそよといふをざさ原かな
ha o shigemi
michi miezu tote
yasuraeba
soyosoyo to iu
ozasawara kana | So lush the leaves
My way is hidden, I think –
And when I take my ease a while
‘That’s right! That’s right!’ rustle
The dwarf bamboo groves! |
Kanemasa
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
Sakaki 榊
伊駒山手向はこれか木のもとに岩蔵うちて榊たてたり
ikoma yama
tamuke wa kore ka
ko no moto ni
iwakura uchite
sakaki tatetari | Upon Ikoma Mountain
Is this to be the offering?
Around the tree roots
Where the gods do dwell
Stands sacred sakaki. |
Kanemasa
Shrines 社
つかねつつたてならべたるあしやさはみわのやしろのしるしなるらん
tsukanetsutsu
tatenarabetaru
ashi ya sa wa
miwa no yashiro no
shirushi naruran | Bundling up
The straight-standing rows of
Rushes – will they
From the shrine of Miwa
Blessings bestow, I wonder? |
Kanemasa
'Simply moving and elegant'