A poem from a poetry competition held by Her Majesty, the Empress, during the Kanpyō period.
吹風と谷の水としなかりせば深山がくれの花を見ましや
| Fuku kaze to tani no midu to si nakariseba miyama gakure no Fana wo mimasi ya | The gusting wind and The valley’s waters Were there none, then Hidden in the mountains’ depths These blossoms – would any wish to see them? |
Tsurayuki
Topic unknown.
吹風をなきてうら見ようぐひすは我やは花に手だにふれたる
| Fuku kaze wo nakite uramiyo uguFisu Fa ware ya Fa Fana ni te dani Furetaru | The gusting breeze With song does reproach The warbler, or Is it me? For on the blossoms Have I dared to lay a hand… |
Anonymous
Topic unknown.
うぐひすのなく野べごとに来てみればうつろふ花に風ぞ吹ける
| uguFisu no naku nobe goto ni kitemireba uturoFu Fana ni kaze zo fukikeru | The warblers Sing from every field, and When I arrive I see, Faded flowers blown By the gusting wind. |
Anonymous
A poem from a poetry competition held by Her Majesty, the Empress, during the Kanpyō period.
霞立春の山辺はとをけれど吹くる風は花の香ぞする
| kasumi tatu Faru no yamabe Fa towokeredo Fukikuru kaze Fa Fana no ka zo suru | Hazes rise Round the mountains’ sides, So far away, and yet The gusting breeze comes Bearing the scent of blossom. |
Ariwara no Motokata
Topic unknown.
吹風にあつらへつくるものならばこの一本は避きよと言はまし
| Fuku kaze ni aturaFetukuru mono naraba kono Fitomoto Fa yokiyo to iFamasi | Should the gusting wind Take orders, Then, ‘This single spray Avoid!’ – that’s what I would say! |
Anonymous
Composed on returning from an ascent of Mount Hiei.
山たかみ見つつわが来しさくら花風は心にまかすべらなり
| yama takami mitutu wa ga kosi sakurabana kaze Fa kokoro ni makasuberanari | On the mountain’s heights, Did I ever see, when homeward bound, Cherry blossoms, where Now the wind will Do as it wants! |
Tsurayuki
Composed on the scattering of cherry blossoms.
雪とのみふるだにあるをさくら花いかにちれとか風のふく覧
| yuki to nomi Furu dani aru wo sakurabana ika ni tire to ka kaze no Fukuran | Simply as snow Do fall the Cherry blossoms: So why to scatter them Does the wind seem to blow? |
Ōshikōchi no Mitsune
Composed on the scattering of cherry blossoms, while in the guard post for the Crown Prince’s Palace.
春風は花のあたりをよきてふけ心づからやうつろふとみむ
| Farukaze Fa Fana no atari wo yokite Fuke kokorodukara ya uturoFu to mimu | O, winds of Spring, While the blossoms bloom Refrain from blowing! Does their own heartbreak Fade them I would wonder. |
Fujiwara no Yoshikaze
Composed when someone said there was nothing that scattered as swiftly as cherry blossom.
桜花とくちりぬとも思ほえず人の心ぞ風もふきあへぬ
| sakurabana toku tirinu tomo omoFoezu Fito no kokoro zo kaze mo FukiaFenu | Cherry blossoms Are swiftly scattered – I think not, for Folks’ hearts, too Are fluttered by the breeze. |
Tsurayuki
Heat Haze
しづけくて吹きくる風もなき空にみだれてあそぶいとぞみえける
| shizukekute fukikuru kaze mo naki sora ni midarete asobu ito zo miekeru | Even a gently Blowing breeze Is absent from the skies, where A playful tangled Thread of haze appears. |
Tadafusa