As a poem on willows.
青柳のいともてぬける白露の玉こきちらす春の山かぜ
aoyagi no ito mo tenukeru shiratsuyu no tama kokichirasu haru no yamakaze | Pale green willow Threads are strung With silver dewdrops— Gems scattered by The breeze from off the mountains in springtime. |
Created with Soan.
しら露はわきてもおかじをみなへし心からにや色のそむらむ
shiratsuyu wa wakite mo okaji ominaeshi kokoro kara ni ya iro no somuramu | Silver dewdrops Fall where they will, so Surely, ’tis the maidenflower’s Own heart that Stains her with such hues? |
Michinaga
Scarlet leaves
Left
つねよりもはやきもみぢはしらつゆのわきて心をおけるとやみん
tsune yori mo hayaki momiji wa shiratsuyu no wakite kokoro o okeru to ya min | Earlier than Usual upon the scarlet leaves Have silver dewdrops Burst—is it my heart that With them seems to fall? |
15
Right
もみぢばのながれてせけばやまがははあさきよりなほみづやひぬらん
momijiba no nagarete sekeba yamagawa wa asaki yori nao mizu ya hinuran | Scarlet leaves Flow down and block A mountain stream, so Shallower than ever do Its waters seem to fall? |
16
Karukaya
Left
しらつゆにいろかはりゆくかるかやのほにいでてあきをあはれとぞ思ふ
shiratsuyu ni iro kawariyuku karukaya no ho ni idete aki o aware to zo omou | With silver dewfall The hues do change Of the pampas grass— Fronds emerge and autumn’s Sorrow I keenly feel. |
5
Right
よそめにはこともやすらにかるかやをなど秋風のふきみだるらん
yosome ni wa koto mo yasura ni karukaya o nado akikaze no fukimidaruran | When glanced at So peaceful is The pampas grass, so Why might the autumn wind Blow it to such confusion? |
6
Left
ひとのみることやくるしきをみなへしあきぎりにのみたちかくるらむ
hito no miru koto ya kurushiki ominaeshi akigiri ni nomi tachikakururamu | For man to gaze on you, Is it so painful, O, Maidenflower, That simply in the autumn mists You must hide yourself away? |
Tadamine
13[1]
Right
とりてみばはかなからんやをみなへしそでにつつめるしらつゆのたま
torite miba hakanakaran ya ominaeshi sode ni tsutsumeru shiratsuyu no tama | If I pick and look How fleeting are Upon a maidenflower, Enveloped in my sleeves Silver dewdrop pearls. |
14
[1] KKS IV: 235
Left
しらつゆのおけるあしたのをみなへしはなにもはにもたまぞかかれる
shiratsuyu no okeru ashita no ominaeshi hana ni mo ha ni mo tama zo kakareru | Silver dewdrops Fallen in the morning on A maidenflower: Both bloom and leaves Are all hung with pearls. |
7[1]
Right
をみなへしたてるのざとをうちすぎてうらみむつゆにぬれやん
ominaeshi tateru nozato o uchisugite uramimu tsuyu ni nure ya wataran | A maidenflower Stands at a house upon the plains As I pass by; Is it her resentful dew That has drenched me on my way? |
8
[1] Gyokuyōshū 526; Shinsen man’yōshū 606; Kokin rokujō 3687
Left
白露ぞ霜となりける冬のよはあまの河さへ水こほりけり
shiratsuyu zo shimo to narikeru fuyu no yo wa ama no kawa sae mizu kōrikeri | Silver dewdrops Have turned to frost On this winter’s night Even the River of Heaven’s Waters have frozen. |
153
Right
冬の海に降りいる雪やそこにゐて春たつ浪の花とさくらん
fuyu no umi ni furi’iru yuki ya soko ni ite haru tatsu nami no hana to sakuran | Upon the sea in winter, Falling down, is the snow: Does it rest upon the bed and With the waves breaking in springtime Bloom into blossom? |
154
Left
白露の染めいだす萩の下紅葉衣にうつすあきは来にけり
shiratsuyu no some’idasu hagi no shita momiji koromo ni utsusu aki wa kinikeri | Silver dewdrops Lay dye upon the bush clover’s Scarlet underleaves: Reflected in its garb, Autumn has come! |
102
Right
風寒み啼く秋虫のなみだこそ草に色どる露とおくらめ
kaze samumi naku akimushi no namida koso kusa ni irodoru tsuyu to okurame | The wind is chill, with The crying autumn insects’ Tears; Bringing colour to the grasses, The dew seems to fall… |
103
Left
秋のよのあまてる月の光にはおく白露を玉とこそ見れ
aki no yo no ama teru tsuki no hikari ni wa oku shiratsuyu o tama to koso mire | On an autumn night The heaven-shining moon’s Light upon The fallen silver dewdrops Truly, makes them seem as jewels. |
98[1]
Right
あきののにおける露をばひとりぬる我が涙とも思ひしれかし
aki no no ni okeru tsuyu oba hitori nuru wa ga namida to mo omoishire kashi | Upon the autumn fields Drop dewdrops; Sleeping alone, My tears— Think on them, why don’t you! |
99
[1] Shinchokusenshū V: 281/Shinsen man’yōshū 95
Left
白露に風のふきしく秋の野はつらぬきとめぬ玉ぞちりける
shiratsuyu ni kaze no fukishiku aki no no wa tsuranukitomenu tama zo chirikeru | Silver dewdrops are Blown by the wind Across the autumn meadows; No longer threaded, The jewels are scattered. |
90
Right
いつのまに秋穂たるらむ草と見しほどいくかともへだたらなくに
itsu no ma ni akiho taruramu kusa to mishi hodo ikuka to mo hedataranaku ni | In an instant The autumn ears seem to droop down; Though as grasses they looked With no more than a few short days Standing in between… |
91
'Simply moving and elegant'