When the Regent and Grand Minister was a Major Councillor, he had this composed on snow upon a mountain hut.
まつ人のふもとのみちはたえぬらんのきばのすぎに雪をもるなり
| matsu hito no fumoto no michi wa taenuran nokiba no sugi ni yuki o moru nari |
Awaiting one whose Path among the foothills Has vanished, I think; The cedar by my eaves Is buried deep in snow. |
Sada’ie
定家
Seeing the first snows lying upon the fallen autumn leaves, he sent this to a lady-in-waiting in the Jōtōmon Palace.
山ざとはみちもやみえずなりぬらんもみぢとゝもに雪のふりぬる
| yamazato wa michi mo yamiezu narinuran momiji to tomo ni yuki no furinuru |
To your mountain home The path is now impassable I think; Along with autumn leaves The snow has started falling. |
Fujiwara no Ietsune
藤原家經
Composed when the gentlemen of the court were composing in the conception of yearning after mountain snow just before dawn.
をとは山さやかに見ゆる白雪をあけぬとつぐるとりのこゑかな
| otowa yama sayaka ni miyuru shirayuki o akenu to tsuguru tori no koe kana |
Mount Otowa Appears clearly: Snow’s whiteness Brightening-announced by The cock’s crow. |
Retired Emperor Takakura (1161-1188; r. 1168-1180)
On the sound of snow in the middle of the night.
あけやらぬねざめのとこにきこゆなりまがきの竹の雪のしたおれ
| akeyaranu nezame no toko ni kikoyu nari magaki no take no yuki no shitaore |
No hint of dawn, yet Awakened in my bed I hear it: Bamboo against the lattice fence, Boughs breaking in the snow. |
Minister of Punishments [Fujiwara no] Norikane
Composed on the spirit of desiring mountain blossoms, when he was Great Minister of the Centre.
白雲のたなびく山のやま桜いづれを花とゆきておらまし
| shirayuki no tanabiku yama no yamazakura izure o hana to yukite oramashi |
Snow, white, Trails across the mountain’s Cherries; Knowing which are blossom I would go, and pluck them. |
The Former Kyōgoku Regent and Prime Minister [Fujiwara no Morozane (1042-1101)]
From the Poetry Contest in 1500 Rounds.
さくら色の庭のはる風あともなしとはゞぞ人の雪とだにみん
| sakura iro no niwa no haru kaze ato mo nashi towaba zo hito no yuki to dani min |
Upon the palest pink hues Of my garden, Spring breezes Leave no mark; Were you to come a’calling, a singular Snow is what you’d see. |
Fujiwara no Sada’ie
藤原定家