Songbirds.
あをによしならのやまなるよぶこ鳥いたくななきそ君もこなくに
| aoni yoshi nara no yama naru yobukodori itaku na naki so kimi mo konaku ni | In the blue-black clay of The Nara Mountains, O, songbird, Do not cry so sadly! For then she will not come… |
Tag Archives: Nara
SKS I: 29
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
SCSS III: 192
A poem for a folding screen on the occasion of a Junior Consort’s entrance to the palace in Kangi 1.
風そよぐならのを川の夕ぐれはみそぎぞ夏のしるしなりける
| kaze soyogu nara no ogawa no yūgure wa misogi zo natsu no shirushi narikeru | Whispers on the wind Through the oaks at Nara stream Of an evening: Lustrations, alone, of summer Are the sign.[i] |
Ietaka, Senior Third Rank
[i] An allusive variation on SKKS XV: 1376.
SKKS XV: 1376
Topic unknown.
みそぎするならのをがはのかはかぜにいのりぞわたるしたにたえじと
| misogisuru nara no ogawa no kawakaze ni inori zo wataru shita ni taeji to | Lustrations take place At the Nara stream, and On the breeze from off the river Let my prayer cross over— That our secret should be kept forever! |
Yashiro no Ōkimi
SKKS III: 250
Topic unknown.
我がやどのそともにたてるならのはのしげみにすずむ夏はきにけり
| wa ga yado no sotomo ni tateru nara no ha no shigemi ni suzumu natsu wa kinikeri | At my house, In the grounds behind stands An oak tree, leaves So lush that coolness To summer has come. |
Monk Egyō
Naidaijin-ke uta’awase gen’ei gan-nen jūgatsu futsuka 24
山家にはならのから葉の散敷きてしぐれの音もはげしかりけり
| yamaga ni wa nara no karaba no chirishikite shigure no oto mo hageshikarikeri | In a mountain hut The withered oak leaves Scattering around and The shower’s sound is Severe, indeed! |
Tamemitsu
Toshiyori’s judgement:
The poem on a mountain hut uses ‘withered oak leaves’ which sounds particularly poor; if one wants to refer to withered leaves then I would conclude the poem with this and not continue. In addition, I wonder about saying ‘the shower’s sound is severe’ – it gives the impression of standing on the peak of Mount Arachi and looking down upon the valley below.
