Original
わかなつむとしはへぬれどかすがのののもりはけふやはるをしるらむ
| wakana tsumu toshi wa henuredo kasugano no nomori wa kyō ya haru o shiruramu | Plucking fresh herbs do The years pass by, yet On Kasuga Plain, The wardens today Must truly know ‘tis spring. [1] |
Mitsune
19
Left (Tie)
けふ見てぞわれはしりぬるはなはなほかすがののべのものにぞありける
| kyō mite zo ware wa shirinuru hana wa nao kasuga no nobe no mono ni zo arikeru | Today did I see, and Understood it well, that Blossom, truly, Upon the meadows of Kasuga Is best of all. |
20
Right
ありへてもかすがののもりはるにあふはとしもわかなもつめるしるしか
| arihete mo kasuga no nomori haru ni au wa toshi mo wakana mo tsumeru shirushi ka | Over passing ages, For the wardens of Kasuga, Encountering the springtime, The years and the fresh herbs, both, Have garnered as a sign, perhaps. |
21
[1] A variant of this poem occurs in Shokugosenshū: In the twenty-first year of the same era, on a day when the Kyōgoku Lady of the Bedchamber visited the shrine at Kasuga, he composed this in place of the official from the province of Yamato. としごとにわかなつみつつかすが野ののもりもけふやはるをしるらん toshi goto ni / wakana tsumitsutsu / kasugano no / nomori mo kyō ya / haru o shiruran ‘Every single year / Ever plucking fresh herbs / On Kasuga Plain / The wardens, too, today / Must truly know ‘tis spring.’Mitsune (XVI: 1032/1029)
Original
うぐひすのなきつるなへにかすがののけふのみゆきをはなとこそみれ
| uguisu no nakitsuru nae ni kasugano no kyō no miyuki o hana to koso mire | While the warbler Sings on Kasuga Plain Today, accompanying the progress, snow As blossom does appear.[1] |
16
Left (Win)
いまはしもはなとぞいはむかすがののはるのみゆきをなにとかは見む
| ima wa shimo hana to zo iwamu kasugano no haru no miyuki o nani to ka wa mimu | Now, of all, The blossom, I would describe, On Kasuga Plain, as Springtime progress snow— What else can I say? |
17
Right
ふるさとにゆきまじりたるはなと見ばわれにおくるなのべのうぐひす
| furusato ni yukimajiritaru hana to miba ware ni okuru na nobe no uguisu | Around the ancient capital Have I gone amidst the snow— If as blossom I did see it, then, O, don’t send me off, Warbler upon the plain! |
18
[1] SIS 1044 attributed to Fujiwara no Tadafusa ‘Headnote ‘Among the many poems presented by provincial officials, when the Kyōgoku Lady of the Bedchamber visited Kasuga.’
Original
やへたてるみかさのやまのしらくもはみゆきさぶらふさくらなりけり
| yae tateru mikasa no yama no shirakumo wa miyuki saburau sakura narikeri | Standing eightfold high above Mikasa Mountain, The clouds of white, In service to the excursion Are cherries. |
7
Left (Win)
よそにてもきみしみつれば山ざくらこころやすくやいまはちるらむ
| yoso nite mo kimi shi mitsureba yamazakura kokoro yasuku ya ima wa chiruramu | Seen from afar, and Even by my Lady, do The mountain cherries Contentedly Seem to scatter now? |
8
Right
やへたてるくもゐに見えしさくらばなかへるたむけにけふやちるらん
| yae tateru kumoi ni mieshi sakurabana kaeru tamuke ni kyō ya chiruran | Standing eightfold high Among the clouds, I seemed to see Cherry blossoms, As a memento of our return Seeming to scatter today. |
9
Original
めづらしきけふのかすがのやをとめをかみもこひしとしのばざらめや
| mezurashiki kyō no kasuga no yaotome o kami mo koishi to shinobazarame ya | Charming, Today at Kasuga Were maidens eight— Would the deity, too, such yearning Be unable to recall?[1] |
1
In reply:
Left (Tie)
やをとめをかみししのばばゆふだすきかけてぞこひむけふのくれなば
| yaotome o kami shi shinobaba yūdasuki kakete zo koimu kyō no kurenaba | If maidens eight The deity does recall, then Cords of mulberry cloth Would he hang that on this beloved Day evening should not fall… |
2
Right
ちはやぶるかみしゆるさばかすがのにたつやをとめのいつかたゆべき
| chihayaburu kami shi yurusaba kasuga no ni tatsu yaotome no itsuka tayubeki | Should the mighty Deity permit, Upon Kasuga plain Stand maidens eight— How long would they endure? |
3
[1] A variant of this poem occurs in Shūishū: Composed when officials from the provinces presented twenty-one poems on the occasion of an imperial progress to Kasuga by the former Teiji Emperor in Engi 20: めづらしきけふのかすがのやをとめを神もうれしとしのばざらめや mezurashiki / kyō no kasuga no / yaotome o / kami mo ureshi to / shinobazareme ya ‘Charming, / Today at Kasuga / Were maidens eight— / Would the deity, too, such joy / Be unable to recall?’ Fujiwara no Tadafusa (SIS X: 620)
Left
わかれてののちやわびしきたなばたのあふごはるけきことをおもへば
| wakarete no nochi ya wabishiki tanabata no au go harukeki koto o omoeba | They part, and Later are filled with lonely sadness The Weaver Maid’s Time of meeting distant grows Within her thoughts… |
13
Right (Win)
わかれてはわびしきものをひこぼしのきのふけふこそおもひやらるれ
| wakarete wa wabishiki mono o hikoboshi no kinō kyō koso omoyararure | Parting is Such a sad and lonely thing— The Herd Boy, Yesterday and today, too, Dwells on it in his thoughts… |
14
Composed during the reign of former Emperor Ichijō, when His Majesty was presented with a gift of some eightfold cherry blossom from Nara and, being in attendance, he ordered her to composed a poem on this gift of blossom.
いにしへのならの宮このやへざくらけふここのへににほひぬるかな
| inishie no nara no miyako no yaezakura kyō kokonoe ni nioinuru kana | The ancient Capital of Nara had Eightfold cherry blossom, that Today within the ninefold palace Does shine! |
Ise no Taiyū
