Crickets
Left
ゆふさればこゑふりたててきりぎりすつゆをさむみやよもすがらなく
yū sareba
koe furitatete
kirigirisu
tsuyu o samumi ya
yomosugara naku | When the evening comes
Louder grow the cries
Of the crickets—
Is it the dewdrops’ chill that
Has them cry the night away? |
Yoshimine no Yukikara
3
Right (Win – Tie in a certain text)
きりぎりすあきのよぶかくおもふかなねざめてきけどこゑのたえねば
kirigirisu
aki no yobukaku
omou kana
nezamete kikedo
koe no taeneba | Crickets
Deep on autumn nights
Do fill my thoughts!
I awaken and listen, yet
Their cries then fade away… |
Miyaji no Okifuru
4
On giving a robe to a certain monk
野べみれば露霜さむみきりぎりすよるの衣のうすくやあるらん
nobe mireba
tsuyujimo samumi
kirigirisu
yoru no koromo no
usuku ya aruran | When I gaze upon the meadows,
How cold the frosty dew upon
The crickets
Night gowns
Seem so thin, do they not… |
Composed listening to crickets chirping one night in the Longest Month.
きりぎりすよはのころものうすきうへにいたくは霜のおかずもあらなん
kirigirisu
yowa no koromo no
usuki ue ni
itaku wa shimo no
okazu mo aranan | The crickets’
Night gowns are
So thin, upon them
Heavily, O, frost,
I would you fall not! |
きりぎりすなく夕ぐれの秋風に我さへあやな物ぞかなしき
kirigirisu
naku yūgure no
akikaze ni
ware sae ayana
mono zo kanashiki | As the crickets
Cry this evening, with
The autumn wind,
Even I, strangely,
Am struck by the sadness of everything. |
秋の夜の月のみやこのきりぎりすなくはむかしのかげや恋しき
aki no yo no
tsuki no miyako no
kirigirisu
naku wa mukashi no
kage ya koishiki | On an autumn night
In the palace of the moon
The crickets
Cry—is it bygone days’
Light they long for? |
あさぢはら露しげき庭の蛬秋ふかきよの月になくなり
asajiwara
tsuyu shigeki niwa no
kirigirisu
aki fukaki yo no
tsuki ni nakunari | A field of cogon-grass,
Dew-drenched, is this garden, where
The crickets,
Deep one autumn night
Cry up to the moon. |
Crickets
秋ふかみつゆさむきよのきりぎりすただいたづらに音をのみぞ鳴く
aki fukami
tsuyu samuki yo no
kirigirisu
tada itazura ni
ne o nomi zo naku | In the depths of autumn
On a night of chilly dew
The crickets
To no end at all
Do raise their plaintive cries… |
Left
あき風にほころびぬらむ藤ばかまつづりさせてふきりぎりす鳴く
akikaze ni
hokorobinuramu
fujibakama
tsuzurisase chō
kirigirisu naku | The autumn wind
Seems to have burst the buds of
The asters
‘Sew them back together!’ say
The crickets’ cries. |
Ariwara no Muneyana
94
Right
秋の夜のあめときこえて降りつるは風に散りつる紅葉なりけり
aki no yo no
ame to kikoete
furitsuru wa
kaze ni chiritsuru
momiji narikeri | On an autumn night
The sound of rain
Falling is
The wind scattered
Scarlet leaves. |
95
Topic unknown.
あき風のふきくるよひはきりぎりす草のねごとにこゑみだれけり[1]
akikaze no
fukikuru yoi wa
kirigirisu
kusa no ne goto ni
koe midarekeri | The autumn wind
Comes gusting late at night, when
The crickets
From every single blade of grass
Let out confused cries. |
Anonymous
[1] This poem appears in the ‘Poetry Contest held at Prince Koresada’s House’ (Koresada shinnō-ke uta’awase (42).
あきのよにたれをまつとかひぐらしのゆふぐれごとになきまさるらん
aki no yo ni
tare o matsu to ka
higurashi no
yūgure goto ni
nakimasaruran | On an autumn night
Who is it that you await, I wonder?
The sundown cicadas
With each evening
Cry ever louder… |
41
あき風のふきくるよひはきりぎりす草のねごとにこゑみだれけり[1]
akikaze no
fukikuru yoi wa
kirigirisu
kusa no ne goto ni
koe midarekeri | The autumn wind
Comes gusting late at night, when
The crickets
From every single blade of grass
Let out confused cries. |
42
[1] This poem was included in Gosenshū (V: 257).
'Simply moving and elegant'
