Left
おしなべて五月のそらを見渡せば草葉も水もみどりなりけり
oshinabete satsuki no sora o miwataseba kusaba mo mizu mo midori narikeri When the entire
72[1]
Right
くるるかとみれば明けぬる夏の夜をあかずとや鳴く山郭公
kururu ka to Did you think ’twas sunset?
73[2]
[1] Shinchokusenshū III: 152/Kokin rokujō I: 89
[1] Kokinshū III: 157, attributed to Mibu no Tadamine/Shinsen man’yōshū 57/Kokin rokujō VI: 4437
A poem from the Poetry Contest held by the Empress Dowager during the Reign of the Kanpyō Emperor.
おしなべて五月のそらを見渡せば草葉も水もみどりなりけり
oshinabete satsuki no sora o miwataseba kusaba mo mizu mo midori narikeri When the entire
Anonymous
Round Sixteen
Left
ひとたびもこひしとおもふに恋しきは心ぞそらにくだくべらなる
hitotabi mo koishi to omou ni koishiki wa kokoro zo sora ni kudakuberanaru Briefly
30
Right
人を思ふ心はわれにあらねばや身のまどふだにしられざるらん
hito o omou kokoro wa ware ni araneba ya mi no madou dani shirazaruran A loving
31
忍ぶれど物思ふ人はうき雲の空に恋する名をのみぞたつ
shinoburedo mono’omou hito wa ukigumo no sora ni koisuru na o nomi zo tatsu I kept it secret, yet
Middle Captain Morotoki, Fourth Rank
恋すともいかでか空に名はたたじ忍ぶる程は袖につつまで
koisu to mo ikade ka sora ni na wa tataji shinoburu hodo wa sode ni tsutsumade You love, so
Lady Aki, in service to the Empress Dowager
Left
あすは又けふをばこぞといひすててをしみしものとおもひだにせじ
asu wa mata Tomorrow, once again
Lord Sueyoshi
Right
ふゆのそらわびつつけふになりにけりあとなきにはのゆきとみながら
fuyu no sora The winter sky is
Ienaga
Judgement: I wonder how the central ‘I’ll say easily’ leads in to the concluding section. The Right’s poem is a little better, I’d say.
When people were commanded to compose a seventeen poem sequence.
冬の空日影みじかき比なればいとどほどなく暮るる年かな
fuyu no sora The winter sky’s
Dharma Seal Kakkan
逢ふ事やこよひこよひとかよふまに空忘れして月日へにけり
au koto ya koyoi koyoi to kayou ma ni sora wasureshite tsukihi henikeri I wonder will we meet
Kuninobu, the Minamoto Middle Counsellor
In reply.
あや莚をとなるまでも恋ひずしてまだきに床を忘るべしやは
ayamushiro oto naru made mo koizushite madaki ni toko o wasurubeshi ya wa My patterned blanket
Daishin, in service to His Former Majesty
Summer
Left
夏くればかみにあふひの草つみてかざしにいのるひとにばかりぞ
natsu kureba kami ni aoi no kusa tsumite kazashi ni inoru hito ni bakari zo When the summer comes
7
夏草も茂りにければ駿河なる田子のうらなへ今やひくらん
natsu kusa mo shigerinikereba suruga naru tago no ura nae ima ya hikuran The summer grasses, too,
8
夏虫のやどるにまつは色ならで春秋空にうつろひやする
natsumushi no yadoru ni matsu wa iro narade haru aki sora ni utsuroi ya suru The summer insects
9
Right
卯花の咲く夏の夜はやみなれどかきねにやどる月かとぞみる
u no hana no saku natsu no yo wa yami naredo kakine ni yadoru tsuki ka to zo miru The deutzia flowers
10
五月きぬことかたらはむほととぎす君にあふちの花も咲きけり
satsuki kinu koto katarawamu hototogisu kimi ni auchi no hana mo sakikeri That the Fifth Month has come
11
空蝉のからにはあらで置く露の身をあらたむる心なるべし
utsusemi no kara ni wa arade oku tsuyu no mi o aratamuru kokoro narubeshi A cicada’s shed
12
From among the poems he composed daily in Bun’ei 7 [1270].
冬の雨の名残のきりはあけ過ぎてくもらぬ空にのこる月かげ
fuyu no ame no The winter rain’s
Minister of Popular Affairs, Lord Tame’ie
Composed gazing at the moon.
あまの原そらさへさえや渡るらん氷と見ゆる冬の夜の月
ama no Fara The plain of Heaven,
Egyō
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'Simply moving and elegant'