Composed on ‘lingering snow’, in a hundred poem sequence he presented for the reign of former emperor Horikawa.
道たゆといとひしものを山ざとにきゆるはをしき去年の雪かな
| miti tayu to ito Fisi mono wo yamazato ni kiyuru wa osiki kozo no yuki kana | That the way was blocked Was terrible, indeed, but At this mountain retreat As it vanishes, regret I feel For last year’s snow! |
Former Middle Counsellor Masafusa
A song to accompany an ancient Yamato dance performed for ten thousand generations, according to the Chronicles of Japan.
しもとゆふかづらき山にふる雪のまなく時なくおもほゆるかな
| simoto yuFu kadurakiyama ni Furu yuki no ma naku toki naku omoFoyuru kana | Withy tied Kazuraki Mountain, where Snow falls Without ever ceasing Do I think of you! |
Anonymous
For the place on a folding screen with a picture of snow falling somewhere with a large number of travellers.
かたしきの衣手いたくさえわびぬ雪ふかきよのみねの松風
| katashiki no koromode itaku saewabinu yuki fukaki yo no mine no matsukaze | A single spread Sleeve is truly filled With lonely chill, On a night deep amidst the snow With the pinewinds on the peak. |
587
雪ふりてあとははかなくたえぬともこしの山道やまずかよはん
| yuki furite ato wa hakanaku taenu tomo koshi no yamamichi yamazu kayowan | In the falling snow Your tracks but briefly Will endure, yet The mountain paths of Koshi Would I endlessly traverse.[i] |
586
[i] See: Composed to send off Ōe no Chifuru when he went to Koshi. 君がゆくこしのしら山しらねども雪のまにまにあとはたづねむ kimi ga yuku / koshi no shirayama / shiranedomo / yuki no manimani / ato wa tazunemu ‘My Lord, you go / To the mountains, so white, of Koshi— / I know them not, yet / While the snow endures / Would I seek your trail.’ Lord Fujiwara no Kanesuke (Kokinshū VIII: 391)
Snow amidst a journey
たび衣夜はのかたしきさえさえて野中の庵に雪降りにけり
| tabigoromo yowa no katashiki saesaete nonaka no io ni yuki furinikeri | In my traveller’s garb At midnight a single spread sleeve Is deeply chill, indeed Around my hut upon the plains Snow has fallen.[i] |
584
[i] See: In a hundred poem sequence: さむしろのよはの衣手さえさえてはつ雪しろしをかのべの松 samushiro no / yowa no koromode / saesaete / hatsuyuki shiroshi / oka no be no matsu ‘Alone in my meagre bedding, / My nightgown’s sleeves / Are deeply chill, indeed; / The first snows lie white / Upon the pines along the hillside.’ Princess Shokushi (Shinkokinshū VI: 662)
Composed to send off Ōe no Chifuru when he went to Koshi.
君がゆくこしのしら山しらねども雪のまにまにあとはたづねむ
| kimi ga yuku kosi no sirayama siranedomo yuki no manimani ato Fa tadunemu | My Lord, you go To the mountains, so white, of Koshi— I know them not, yet While the snow endures Would I seek your trail. |
Lord Fujiwara no Kanesuke
