When former Emperor Reizei was Crown Prince and he instructed him to present a hundred poem sequence.
花の色にそめしたもとのをしければ衣かへうきけふにもあるかな
| Fana no iro ni somesi tamoto no wosikereba koromo kaFe’uki keFu ni mo aru kana | With the blossoms’ hues A’dyed, these sleeves Fill me with regret, so I am loath to change my garb, Indeed, today! |
Minamoto no Shigeyuki 源重之
Sent in the morning after he had first visited the Fifth Lady of the Hon’in mansion.
あさまだき露わけきつる衣手のひるまばかりにこひしきやなぞ
| asa madaki tuyu wakekituru koromode no Firu ma bakari ni koFisiki ya na zo | So early in the morning Did I make my way through the dew Upon my sleeves, By brief noon will dry, but Why do I yearn for you more, even so? |
Taira no Yukitoki
あひおひの袖のふれにしやどの竹よよはへにけりわがともとして
| ai’oi no sode no furenishi yado no take yoyo wa henikeri wa ga tomo toshite | Growing together, Brushing my sleeves, The bamboo at my house Has passed through the ages— My friend, it is.[i] |
667
[i] See: 晋騎兵参軍王子猷 栽称此君 唐太子賓客白楽天 愛為吾友 shin no kihei sangun ōshi iu / uete kono kimi to shōsu / tō no Taishi hinkaku hakurakuten / aishite wa ga tomo to su ‘In Chin times, Administrator for Cavalry Wang Tzu-yu / Planted it and called it “This Gentleman.” / In T’ang times, Adviser to the Heir Apparent Po Lo-t’ien / loved it as being “my friend.”’ (Rimer and Chaves 1997, 132) Fujiwara no Atsumochi (Wakan rōeishū II: 432); and: When His Majesty was yet a prince and had paid a visit to the Toba Palace to converse the Hachijō’in Princess, Her Highness recited, ‘The bamboo has been my friend these many years,’ so His Majesty composed a poem [along with others present]. わが友と君がみかきのくれ竹は千代にいく世のかげをそふらん wa ga tomo to / kimi ga migaki no / kuretake wa / chiyo ni ikuyo no / kage o souran ‘As “my friend” does / My Lady see, by her fence / Black bamboo— / Its thousand knots o’er how many ages / To her will show their shape?’ Master of the Dowager Empress Household Office, Toshinari (Senzaishū X: 608).
Original
ゆくあきをまねくをばなのたもとにはつゆもおきあへずのどけからねば
| yuku aki o maneku obana no tamoto ni wa tsuyu mo oki’aezu nodokekaraneba | Departing autumn Beckoning, upon the silver grass Sleeves The dew cannot fall, For tranquil they are not… |
36
Left
まねくにしあきのとまらぬものならばをばなのそでやせばくなりなん
| maneku ni shi aki no tomaranu mono naraba obana no sode ya sebaku narinan | They may beckon, but Autumn will not linger, So, The silver grass sleeves Narrow will become… |
37
Right
まねけどもとまらぬあきをはなすすきほにいでてしかをなきてしたはむ
| manekedomo tomaranu aki o hanasusuki ho ni idete shika o nakite shitawamu | They beckon, yet Autumn does not linger for The silver grass, Bursting into bloom, as the stags Cry out, as I would, too… |
38
Original
ゆくあきをまねくをばなのたもとにはつゆもおきあへずのどけからねば
| yuku aki o maneku obana no tamoto ni wa tsuyu mo oki’aezu nodokekaraneba | Departing autumn Beckoning, upon the silver grass Sleeves The dew cannot fall, For tranquil they are not… |
36
Left
まねくにしあきのとまらぬものならばをばなのそでやせばくなりなん
| maneku ni shi aki no tomaranu mono naraba obana no sode ya sebaku narinan | They may beckon, but Autumn will not linger, So, The silver grass sleeves Narrow will become… |
37
Right
まねけどもとまらぬあきをはなすすきほにいでてしかをなきてしたはむ
| manekedomo tomaranu aki o hanasusuki ho ni idete shika o nakite shitawamu | They beckon, yet Autumn does not linger for The silver grass, Bursting into bloom, as the stags Cry out, as I would, too… |
38
After a certain lady had set off up to the capital, I composed these and, attaching them to a letter, had it sent to her.
夜をさむみひとりね覚の床さえてわが衣手に霜ぞ置きける
| yo o samumi hitori nezame no toko saete wa ga koromode ni shimo zo okikeru | Chill the night, so On waking alone My bed is frozen, and On my sleeves Frost has fallen, indeed![i] |
597
[i] See: Topic unknown. 夜をさむみねざめてきけばをしぞなく払ひもあへず霜やおくらん yo o samumi / nezamete kikeba / oshi zo naku / harai mo aezu / shimo ya okuran ‘Chill the night and / On waking, I hear / A mandarin drake a’crying / For he cannot brush away / The fallen frost, it seems.’ Anonymous (Gosenshū VIII: 478)
On the conception of summer lover, when he held a poetry match at his house.
うつせみのなくねやよそにもりの露ほしあへぬ袖を人のとふまで
| utsusemi no naku ne ya yoso ni mori no tsuyu hoshiaenu sode o hito no tou made | A cicada shell of Cries, sobs distant as Dripping dewdrops in the forest— My sleeves never drying Until folk ask me why.. |
The Regent and Grand Minister
