Tsurayuki’s Poetry Match,[i] 28th day of the Second Month, Tengyō 2[ii]
The beginning of spring.
Left
白雪のみにふりながら梅の花をりつるほどに春は来にけり
shirayuki no
mi ni furinagara
mume no hana
oritsuru hodo ni
haru wa kinikeri | Snow, so white,
Falling upon my flesh,
While the plum blossom,
Branches are breaking
Spring has come! |
1
Right
鶯の巣立ちし日よりはるばるとおもひは音にぞまづなかれける
uguisu no
sudachishi hi yori
harubaru to
omoi wa ne ni zo
mazu nakareru | Since the day the bush warbler
Departed his nest,
Endlessly
Have I thought his song
For the present has not been here. |
2
[i] Tsurayuki uta’awase 貫之歌合
[ii] 21 March 939
Round Six
Left (Win)
梅の花をりてかざせば二月の雪は衣におつるなりけり
ume no hana
orite kazaseba
kisaragi no
yuki wa koromo ni
otsuru narikeri | When plum blossom
I pluck and wear within my hair,
Second Month
Snows upon my robe
Do fall! |
Masashige
11
Right
時ならぬ卯花ともやおもはましかきねの梅のかをらざりせば
toki naranu
u no hana tomo ya
omowamashi
kakine no ume no
ka orazariseba | Unseasonal
Deutzia blooms might
I think them?
Did the plum by my lattice fence
Fail to scent the air… |
Atsuyori
12
The Left is not lacking in conception.
On a place where plum blossom blooms.
わがやどの梅のはつはなさきにけりまつうぐひすはなどかきなかぬ
wa ga yado no
ume no hatsuhana
sakinikeri
matsu uguisu wa
nado ka kinakanu | My dwelling’s
First plum blossom
Has bloomed, so
Why has the long awaited warbler
Not come to sing? |
Created with Soan.
Plum blossom disliking the rain.
我がやどの梅のはなさけり春雨はいたくなふりそちらまくもをし
wa ga yado no
ume no hana sakeri
harusame wa
itaku na furi so
chiramaku mo oshi | At my house
The plum blossom has bloomed, so
Spring showers,
Don’t fall so hard, for
Scattered petals I would regret! |
Created with Soan.
Plum blossom at an ancient estate.
ふる郷にたれしのべとか梅のはなむかしわすれぬかににほふらん
furusato ni
tare shinobedo ka
ume no hana
mukashi wasurenu
ka ni niouran | At this ancient estate
Who is it I recall?
The plum blossom
Unforgettable days gone by
With fragrance seems to bring to life. |
Image created with Adobe Firefly.
Created with Soan.
Composed on plum blossom.
鶯はいたくなわびそ梅のはなことしのみちるならひならねば
uguisu wa
itaku na wabi so
ume no hana
kotoshi no michiru
narai naraneba | O, warbler,
Cry not with such sorrow!
For the plum blossom’s
Fair scattering this year
Is not a one-time thing… |
Composed on plum blossom.
さりともと思ひし程に梅のはな散りすぐるまで君がきまさぬ
saritomo to
omoishi hodo ni
ume no hana
chirisuguru made
kimi ga kimasanu | Soon, ‘twould be
Was I a’thinking, but
The plum blossom
Is scattered and gone and
Of you there is no sign at all… |
Created with Soan.
Composed on plum blossom.
わが袖に香をだにのこせ梅花あかで散りぬるわすれがたみに
wa ga sode ni
ka o dani nokose
ume no hana
akade chirinuru
wasuregatami ni | Upon my sleeves
Your scent, at least, leave behind,
O, plum blossom!
That, unsated, when you have scattered
I’ll have a keepsake to forget you not… |
Composed on plum blossom.
春風はふけどふかねど梅花さけるあたりはしるくぞ有りける
harukaze wa
fuketobu kanedo
mume no hana
sakeru atari wa
shiruku zo arikeru | Whether the breeze in springtime
Blows, or blows not, that
The plum blossom
Is blooming here is
Startlingly clear! |
Created with Soan.
A warbler between the blossom.
春くれば先さくやどのむめのはなかをなつかしみうぐひすぞ鳴く
haru kureba
mazu saku yado no
mume no hana
ka o natsukashimi
uguisu zo naku | When the spring has come,
First to bloom at my house is
Plum blossom
Fond of its fragrance
Does the warbler sing! |
Created with Soan.
'Simply moving and elegant'
