Left
霞立つ春の山辺にさくら花あかず散るとやうぐひすの鳴く
kasumi tatsu haru no yamabe ni sakurabana akazu chiru to ya uguisu no naku | Hazes rise from The springtime moutainside, where With cherry blossoms’ Scattering unsated, perhaps, The warbler sings. |
25[1]
Right
あまの原春はことにも見ゆるかな雲のたてるも色こかりけり
ama no hara haru wa koto ni mo miyuru kana kumo no tateru mo iro kokarikeri | Upon the Plain of Heaven The spring is especially Revealed! The clouds stand tall in Vibrant hues. |
26
[1] Shinkokinshū II: 109/Shinsen man’yōshū 31
From the Poetry Contest held by the Dowager Empress during the Reign of the Kanpyō Emperor.
霞立つ春の山辺にさくら花あかず散るとやうぐひすの鳴く
kasumi tatsu haru no yamabe ni sakurabana akazu chiru to ya uguisu no naku | Hazes rise from The springtime moutainside, where With cherry blossoms’ Scattering unsated, perhaps, The warbler sings. |
Anonymous
Round Two
Left
年のうちに春はきにけりひととせをこぞとやいはん今年とやいはん
toshi no uchi ni haru wa kinikeri hito tose o kozo to ya iwan kotoshi to ya iwan | Within the year Spring has come once more, so A single year: Should I say ‘tis last year, or Should I say ‘tis this one? |
Ariwara no Motokata
3[1]
Right (Win)
みよしのの山べにさけるさくら花雪かとのみぞあやまたれける
miyoshino no yamabe ni sakeru sakurabana yuki ka to nomi zo ayamatarekeru | In fair Yoshino In the mountains, the flowering Cherry blossoms: Simply for snow I did mistake them! |
Ki no Tomonori
4[2]
[1] Kokin rokujō I: 1
[2] Kokinshū I: 60
Spring
Left
春のたつ霞の衣うらもなく年を経てこそ花の散りけれ
haru no tatsu kasumi no koromo ura mo naku toshi o hete koso hana no chirikere | Spring does sew A robe of haze Without an underlay, The year passes by in A scattering of blossom |
1
春の野の雪間をわけていつしかと君がためとぞ若菜摘みつる
haru no no no yuki ma o wakete itsushika to kimi ga tame to zo wakana tsumitsuru | Across the springtime meadows Do I forge between the snows, Eagerly, so eagerly, For you, my Lord, Have I gathered fresh herbs! |
2
春霞かすみこめたる山里はこほりとくともかげはみえじを
harugasumi kasumi kometaru yamazato wa kōri toku tomo kage wa mieji o | The haze of spring Blurs all around A mountain retreat, Even were the ice to melt I could see no sign of it! |
3
Right
梅枝にきゐる鶯年毎に花の匂ひをあかぬ声する
ume ga e ni ki’iru uguisu toshigoto ni hana no nioi o akanu koesuru | Upon the plum tree’s branches Has come to rest the warbler; Every single year, that Of the blossoms’ scent He cannot get his fill he sings. |
4
桜色に花さく雨はふりぬとも千しほぞそめてうつろふなそで
sakurairo ni hana saku ame wa furinu tomo chishio zo somete utsurou na sode | Cherry-coloured Blossoms flower, as the rain Falls on, yet Dyed a thousand times Fade not, o, my sleeves! |
5
青柳のいとはるばると緑なる行末までも思ひこそやれ
aoyagi no ito harubaru to midori naru yukusue made mo omoi koso yare | The willow’s Branches dangle lengthily So green Right to the very end Will I fondly think of you. |
6
A poem from the Poetry Contest held at the Palace of Former Emperor Uda.
さくら花ちりぬるかぜのなごりには水なき空に浪ぞたちける
sakurabana tirinuru kaze no nagori ni Fa midu naki sora ni nami zo tatikeru | Cherry blossoms Scattered, the wind Leaves a keepsake In the waterless sky of A wave of broken petals. |
Tsurayuki
Composed on returning from an ascent of Mount Hiei.
山たかみ見つつわが来しさくら花風は心にまかすべらなり
yama takami mitutu wa ga kosi sakurabana kaze Fa kokoro ni makasuberanari | On the mountain’s heights, Did I ever see, when homeward bound, Cherry blossoms, where Now the wind will Do as it wants! |
Tsurayuki
Composed on the scattering of cherry blossoms.
雪とのみふるだにあるをさくら花いかにちれとか風のふく覧
yuki to nomi Furu dani aru wo sakurabana ika ni tire to ka kaze no Fukuran | Simply as snow Do fall the Cherry blossoms: So why to scatter them Does the wind seem to blow? |
Ōshikōchi no Mitsune
Composed when someone said there was nothing that scattered as swiftly as cherry blossom.
桜花とくちりぬとも思ほえず人の心ぞ風もふきあへぬ
sakurabana toku tirinu tomo omoFoezu Fito no kokoro zo kaze mo FukiaFenu | Cherry blossoms Are swiftly scattered – I think not, for Folks’ hearts, too Are fluttered by the breeze. |
Tsurayuki
Composed on the scattering of cherry blossoms.
ことならばさかずやはあらぬさくら花見る我さへにしづ心なし
koto naraba sakazu ya Fa aranu sakurabana miru ware saFe ni sidukokoro nasi | If it could be that You never bloomed at all, O, cherry blossoms, Then at your sight I Would not be so disturbed… |
Tsurayuki
Composed on seeing cherries blooming on a mountain.
春霞なに隠す覧さくら花ちる間をだにもみるべき物を
Farugasumi nani kakusuramu sakurabana chiru ma wo dani mo mirubeki mono wo | Why should the spring haze So conceal The cherry blossoms, for Their brief instant of scattering at least Is something I would see… |
Tsurayuki
'Simply moving and elegant'