When Tachibana no Michisada went down to Michinoku, forgetting Izumi Shikibu, Akazome Emon composed this poem and sent it to her.
行く人もとまるもいかに思ふらん別れてのちのまたの別れを
| yuku Fito mo tomaru mo ika ni omoFuran wakarete noti no mata no wakare wo |
He who goes and You who stay, what Do you feel, I wonder? After parting To part once more… |
Akazome Emon
赤染衛門
When [his father] was going down to Noto, people came to see them off and he composed this poem.
とまるべき道にはあらずなかなかに會はでぞ今日はあるべかりける
| tomarubeki miti ni Fa arazu nakanaka ni aFade zo keFu Fa arubekarikeru |
To halt at all On this path is not done Far better Not to have met at all today I’d say. |
Minamoto no Michinari
Composed for another when [Ōe no] Yoshitoki left, having become Governor of Tsushima.
厭はしきわが命さへ行く人の歸らんまでと惜しくなりぬる
| itoFasiki wa ga inoti saFe yuku Fito no kaFeran made to wosiku narinuru |
Even the suffering That is my life, Until he, who leaves, Returns, will be All the more pitiable. |
Lady Sagami
Lord Minamoto no Yorikiyo, having completed his tour of duty in Michinoku province, was made Governor of Higo and left [the capital] again; when he was due to depart, she sent this to him secretly.
たびたびの千代をはるかに君や見ん末の松より生の松原
| tabitabi no tiyo wo Faruka ni kimi ya min suwe no matu yori iki no matubara |
Journey piled on journey At a distance of a thousand years Will you see? From the pines of Sue, To the living pine groves. |
Lady Sagami
Sent back after he was sent into exile.
君が住む宿のこずゑのゆくゆくと隱るるまでにかへりみしはや
| kimi ga sumu yado no kozuwe no yukuyuku to kakururu made ni kaFeri misi Fa ya |
My lady lives In the house beyond those treetops; As I went along, ’ Til they were quite gone from sight Did I backwards turn my gaze. |
The Posthumous Grand Minister, [Sugawara no Michizane].
For the farewell feast, when Kanemori was sent to Suruga as Governor.
別地は渡せる橋もなき物をいかでか常に戀ひ渡べき
| wakaredi Fa wataseru Fasi mo naki mono wo ikadeka tune ni koFi watarubeki |
Your parting path: Spanned by bridges, Now gone, so How, as ever, Should we send you our love? |
Written on a fan when Ōe no Tamemoto went down into the Eastlands (around 985).
惜ともなき物ゆへにしかすがの渡と聞けばたゞならぬ哉
| wosimu to mo naki mono yuFe ni sikasuga no watari to kikeba tada naranu kana |
For regret I have no reason, yet To Shikasuga’s Crossing are you bound, I hear, so Indeed, I am not completely indifferent. |
Composed on parting from someone with whom he had spoken by a rocky spring on the way through the Shiga mountains.
むすぶてのしづくににごる山の井のあかでも人にわかれぬるかな
| musubu te no siduku ni nigoru yama no wi no akade mo Fito ni wakarenuru kana |
From cupped hands Droplets cloud The mountain spring- It’s not enough-as from you Am I parted. |
Tsurayuki
貫之