On winter rain.
草枕犬も時雨ゝかよるのこゑ
kusa makura
inu mo shiguru ka
yoru no koe |
Pillowed on the grass
Does that dog, too, dislike the rain
Whimpering in the night? |
(1684)
On flowering grasses.
草いろいろおのおの花の手柄かな
kusa iroiro
ono ono hana no
tegara kana |
The grasses in many colours
Each put forth flowers of their own,
A fine feat, indeed! |
(1688)
On harvesting rice.
よの中は稲かる頃か草の庵
yo no naka wa
ine karu koro ka
kusa no io |
Out in the world
Is it rice harvest time, I wonder,
From within my hut of grass. |
(1685-87)
On dolls.
草の戸も住替はる代ぞひなの家
kusa no to mo
sumi kawaru yo zo
hina no ie |
Even to this hut of thatch
Comes a world of change: getting
Filled up with dolls! |
(1689)
On Spring rain.
春雨や蓬をのばす艸の道
harusame ya
yomogi o nobasu
kusa no michi |
With the spring rains
The mugworts spring up:
A path of grasses. |
(1689)
A poem from a folding screen in the Engi period.
草まくらゆふ風さむくなりにけり衣うつなるやどやからまし
kusamakura
yukaze samuku
narinikeri
koromo utsu naru
yado ya karamashi |
Pillowed on grass,
The evening wind grows chiller
Still;
With the sound of fulling clothes
Shall I, perhaps, find lodging? |
Tsurayuki
貫之
Topic unknown.
秋風はふきむすべどもしらつゆのみだれてをかぬ草の葉ぞなき
aki kaze wa
fukimusubedomo
shiratsuyu no
midarete okanu
kusa no ha zo naki |
The Autumn winds
Blow forming them, yet
Silver dewdrops
In disarray have fallen
On every single blade of grass. |
Dai Ni no Sanmi
大弐三位
Topic unknown.
あはれいかに草葉のつゆのこぼるらん秋風たちぬみやぎのゝはら
aware ikani
kusa ha no tsuyu no
koboruran
akikaze tachinu
miyagino no hara |
Ahh, how much
Can the dew on grass and leaves
Overflow, I wonder?
Now the autumn wind has blown
On the fields of Miyagino. |
The Monk Saigyō
西行
Composed watching fireflies flying upwards.
いづちとかよるは蛍のゝぼるらんゆくかたしらぬ草の枕に
izuchi to ka
yoru wa hotaru no
noboruran
yuku kata shiranu
kusa no makura ni |
Whither bound?
At night the fireflies
Ascend;
Destination unknown,
Pausing briefly, pillowed on the grasses. |
Mibu no Tadami
Topic unknown.
夏草はしげりにけれどほとゝぎすなどわがやどに一聲もせぬ
natsu kusa wa
shigerinikeredo
hototogisu
nado wa ga yado ni
hito koe mo senu |
The summer grasses
Have grown lush and thick, yet,
O, cuckoo
Why at my home
Do you not give a single call? |
The Engi Emperor (Daigo) (885-930; r. 897-930)
'Simply moving and elegant'