Left
なつの夜の露なとどめそ蓮葉のまことの玉と成りしはてずは
natsu no yo no tsuyu na todome so hasu no ha no makoto no tama to narishihatezu wa On a summer night,
55
Right
夏山にこひしき人や入りにけむ声ふりたてて鳴く郭公
natsuyama ni Into the summer mountains
Ki no Akimine
56[1]
[1] Kokinshū III: 158/Shinsen man’yōshū 71/Kokin rokujō VI: 4447
Scarlet lotus flowers floating on marsh water (緑沼紅蓮浮)
Left (Win)
みどりぬにうきたるはちすくれなゐにみづにごるなり波たつなゆめ
midorinu ni Upon the green marsh
6
Right
紅のはちすうきたるみどりぬにしら波たてばこきまぜの花
kurenawi no Scarlet,
7[1]
[1] These poems are included in Fubokushō (XXIV: 11386 ) and (XXIV: 11387 ).
ひさかたの雨も降らぬか蓮葉に溜まれる水の玉に似たる見む
hisakata no Is it that from the eternal
Hashisu
A poem presented to Imperial Prince Niitabe.
勝間田の池は我れ知る蓮なししか言ふ君が鬚なきごとし
katumata no Katsumata
A certain person has told me they had heard the following about this poem: Prince Niitabe had left the precincts of the capital for a pleasure trip and, on seeing Kasumata Pond, was deeply moved. On his return, his interest in the pond did not abate. Then, he said to a lady, ‘If you saw Katsumata Pond, where I went today, words could not describe the sight of the light reflecting brilliantly from the surface of the waters, and special beauty of the lotus flowers, which were in full bloom.’ Then the lady composed this humourous poem and sang it to him.
蓮葉はかくこそあるもの意吉麻呂が家なるものは芋の葉にあらし
patisu ba paumo no pa ni arasiLotus leaves
Naga no Okimaro
On hearing that a certain lady had become close to another, I wrapped a lotus fruit in a leaf, to make a point of some sort to her.
はちすのみ思ふをいとゞ浮き葉には露にてもなを心をくべし
hatisu nomi
Bitter rue
In reply:
蓮葉にうかぶ露こそたのまるれなに空蟬の世をなげくらむ
Fatisuba ni
Upon the lotus leaf
At a reading of the eight volumes of the Lotus Sutra to draw closer to the Buddha, held at the Shirakawa estate.
けふよりは露のいのちもおしからず蓮にうかぶ玉とちぎれば
keFu yori Fa
From this day on
五月雨に池の汀やまさるらん蓮の浮葉を越る白波
samidare ni
With the summer showers
On lotuses.
戸を明けて蚊帳に蓮の主人哉
to o aketehachisu no
Door open,
'Simply moving and elegant'
