Autumn
Round Seven
Left
秋山はからくれなゐに成りにけりいくしほしぐれふりてそめけん
akiyama wa karakurenai ni narinikeri iku shio shigure furite someken The autumn mountains To Cathay scarlet Have turned; How many dippings with drizzle Have fallen to dye them so?
13[1]
Right (Win)
秋きぬとめにはさやかにみえねども風の音にぞおどろかれぬる
aki kinu to me ni wa sayaka ni mienedomo kaze no oto ni zo odorokarenuru That autumn has come With my eyes, clearly, I cannot see, yet The sound of the wind Has startled me.
Fujiwara no Toshiyuki 14[2]
[1] Shokugosenshū VII: 429
[2] This poem was particularly highly evaluated and so is included in numerous other anthologies (Kokin rokujō I: 125), exemplary collections (Shinsen waka 2) and senka awase – contests assembled from prior poems (Shunzei sanjū roku nin uta’awase 61; Jidai fudō uta’awase 49).
よもぎふに露のおきしくあきのよはひとりぬるみもそでぞぬれける
yomogyū ni tsuyu no okishiku aki no yo wa hitori nuru mi mo sode zo nurekeru Upon the mugwort The dew falls, scattered On an autumn night; Sleeping alone, my Sleeves are drenched, indeed!
35
あしひきの山べによするしらなみはくれなゐふかくあきぞ見えける
ashihiki no yamabe ni yosuru shiranami wa kurenai fukaku aki zo miekeru Upon the leg-wearying Mountain meadows break The whitecaps; A deeper scarlet Does autumn reveal.
36
Scarlet leaves dyed with dew (露染紅葉)
Left
白露のそむる紅葉のいかなればから紅にふかくみゆらん
shiratsuyu no somuru momiji no ikanareba karakurenai ni fukaku miyuran When silver dewdrops Stain the autumn leaves What happens, but Their scarlet hues Seem all the deeper.
A Court Lady 23
Right
いかにおくしら露なれば紅葉ばのくれなゐふかく色をそむらん
ika ni oku shiratsuyu nareba momijiba no kurenai fukaku iro o somuran How can they fall— These silver dewdrops—so The autumn leaves with Ever deeper scarlet Hues are dyed?
A Court Lady 24
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 ukitaru hatisu kurenawi ni midu nigorunari nami tatu na yume Upon the green marsh Floats a lotus Its scarlet Stains the waters – O, rise not, you waves!
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 Fatisu ukitaru midorinu ni siranami tateba kokimaze no Fana Scarlet, The lotus floats upon The green marsh, but When the whitecaps rise All jumbled will the flowers be…
7[1]
[1] These poems are included in Fubokushō (XXIV: 11386 ) and (XXIV: 11387 ).
Shrines 社
神がきやみむろの山の木がくれにも見えまがはぬはあけの玉がき
kamigaki ya mimuro no yama no kogakure ni mo miemagawanu wa ake no tamagaki O, sacred wall! Upon Mimuro Mountain, Even hidden amongst the trees, Unmistakable is The holy scarlet fence!
Tadafusa
Love Closely Nearby.
紅の裾引くほどの宿なれど色にいでなば人に知られじ
kurenawi no suso Fiku Fodo no yado naredo iro ni idenaba Fito ni shirarezi Her scarlet Hem could I tug upon, so close Do we dwell, yet If my passion’s hues were to show, I would folk did never know…
Fujiwara no Kiyosuke (1104-1177)
藤原清輔
紅はうつろふものぞ橡のなれにし来ぬになほしかめやも
kurenawi wa
uturopu mono zo
turubami no
narenisi konu ni
napo sikame ya mo
Scarlet is
A hue that fades!
Oak-dyed
Well-worn garb is
More appropriate, don’t you think?
The poems above were composed on the 5th day of the Fifth Month by the Governor, Ōtomo sukune Yakamochi.
沖行くや赤ら小舟につと遣らばけだし人見て開き見むかも
oki yuku ya
akara obune ni
tuto yaraba
kedasi pito mite
akimimu kamo
Heading out into the offing
On a scarlet official ship
If I send a parcel
Would he find it, and
Try opening it, I wonder?
Composed for the Poetry Competition held at the Residence of Middle Councillor Toshitada.
くれなゐの濃染の衣うへにきむこひのなみたの色かくるやと
kurenawi no
kosome no koromo
uFe ni kimu
koFi no namida no
iro kakuru ya to
In scarlet
Deeply dyed, a robe
Would I put on
That my tears of love’s
Hue be concealed!
Fujiwara no Akitsuna
藤原顕綱
'Simply moving and elegant'