Sent to Lady Michinokuni, in service to the Lay Priestess and Princess of the First Order (Shūshi (996-1049)).
奧山の眞木の葉しのぎ降る雪のいつとくべしと見えぬ君かな
okuyama no
maki no Fa sinogi
Furu yuki no
itu toku besi to
mienu kimi kana |
In the mountains’ heart are
Pine needles weighed down
By fallen snow which
Will never melt,
Or so it seems; nor yet will you. |
Minamoto no Yoritsuna (d. 1097)
Spring Rain on a Journey
袖ぬらす富士のすそ野の春雨やよそにみえつる雪消なるらん
sode nurasu
fuji no susono no
harusame ya
yoso ni mietsuru
yukige naruran |
Soaking my sleeves
In the fields on Fuji’s hem
Is this spring rain
Distantly seen
Snow-melt, perhaps? |
Spring Snow
雲こほる空にはしばし消えやらで風の上なる春のあは雪
kumo kōru
sora ni wa shibashi
kieyarade
kaze no ue naru
haru no awayuki |
Frozen clouds
From the sky for a while
Have faded not;
Above the wind lies
Spring’s snow-spume. |
奧山の臥す猪の床や荒れぬらんかるもゝ絶えぬ雪のしるしに
okuyama no
fusu i no toko ya
arenuran
karumo mo taenu
yuki no shirushi ni |
In the mountains’ heart,
The wild boar lies to make his bed,
Is it all ruined, I wonder?
For the dried grasses have vanished
Beneath the signal snow. |
今朝見れば佛のあかに摘む花もいづれなるらん雪の埋木
kesa mireba
hotoke no aka ni
tsumu hana mo
izurenaruran
yuki no mumoregi |
When I looked this morning
On the water laid before the Buddha, and
The flowers floating there,
What had become of them?
Trees buried deep in snow. |
さながらや佛の花におらせまししきみの枝に積る白雪
sanagara ya
hotoke no hana ni
orasemashi
shikimi no eda ni
tsumoru shirayuki |
Just as it is
As a blossom for the Buddha
Should I pluck it?
A branch of anise,
Piled high with snow… |
山風の積ればやがて吹立てて降れどたまらぬ峰の白雪
yama kaze no
tsumoreba yagate
fukitatete
furedo tamaranu
mine no shirayuki |
The mountain winds
Pile it high, then swiftly
Blow stronger;
Falling, yet never mounting up,
White snow upon the peaks. |
冬ごもる寂しさ思ふ朝な朝な爪木の道を埋む白雪
fuyugomoru
sabishisa omou
asana asana
tumaki no michi o
uzumu shirayuki |
Walled in by winter
I feel the sadness;
Every morning
The path to the firewood
Buried in snow. |
萌出る峰の早蕨雪消て折過ぎにける春ぞ知らるゝ
moe izuru
mine no sawarabi
yuki kiete
ori suginikeru
haru zo shiraruru |
Just sprouting
On the peaks are the bracken buds and
The snows are gone;
That we have past the best days
Of spring, I know well. |
里人の裾野の雪を踏分てたゞ我ためと若菜つむらん
satobito no
susono no yuki o
fumiwakete
tada wa ga tame to
wakana tsumuran |
The village folk
Through the snow upon the mountains’ skirts
Do tread;
Yet, for my sake do any
Pluck fresh herbs, I wonder? |
'Simply moving and elegant'