A poem from a poetry competition held by Her Majesty, the Empress, in the Kanpyō period.
夜やくらき道やまどへるほととぎすわがやどをしもすぎがてになく
yo ya kuraki
miti ya madoFeru
Fototogisu
wa ga yado wo simo
sugigateni naku |
Is it night’s darkness?
Or, have you lost your way,
Oh, cuckoo?
By my house
You cannot pass, it seems, and so you sing. |
Ki no Tomonori
紀友則
A poem from a poetry competition held by Her Majesty, the Empress, in the Kanpyō period.
五月雨に物思ひをれば郭公夜ふかくなきていづちゆくらむ
samidare ni
mono’omoFi woreba
Fototogisu
yo Fukaku nakite
iduti yukuramu |
When in the drizzling rain,
I’m sunk in gloomy thoughts,
A cuckoo
Sings in night’s depths:
And where might it be going? |
Ki no Tomonori
紀友則
Topic unknown.
やよやまて山郭公事づてむ我世中にすみわびぬとよ
yayoya mate
yama Fototogisu
kotodutemu
ware yo no naka ni
sumiwabinu to yo |
Hey! Wait a moment,
Mountain cuckoo!
I have a message for you:
For me, this world of men
Is a grievous place to be. |
Mikuni no Machi
Topic unknown.
今さらに山へかへるな郭公こゑのかぎりはわがやどになけ
imasarani
yama Fe kaFeru na
Fototogisu
kowe no kagiri Fa
wa ga yado ni nake |
Once more,
To the mountains do not return,
Oh, Cuckoo;
While you still have voice,
Sing within my home. |
Anonymous
Topic unknown.
あしひきの山郭公をりはへてたれかまさるとねをのみぞなく
asiFiki no
yama Fototogisu
wori FaFete
tareka masaru to
ne wo nomi zo naku |
In the foot-wearying
Mountains, the cuckoos
Piling time on time
Call out, “Who’s best?”
In all their song. |
Anonymous
Topic unknown.
聲はして涙は見えぬ郭公わが衣手のひつをからなむ
kowe Fa site
namida Fa mienu
Fototogisu
wa ga koromode no
Fitu wo karanamu |
Though you cry
I see no teardrops fall,
Cuckoo;
My sleeves
Are soaked-borrow them! |
Anonymous
Topic unknown.
思ひいづるときはの山の郭公唐紅のふりいでてぞなく
omoFiiduru
tokiFa no yama no
Fototogisu
karakurenawi no
Furiidete zo naku |
Deep in my memories:
In the Tokiwa mountains
A cuckoo
With crimson tongue
Bursts into song. |
Anonymous
Topic unknown.
ほととぎすながなくさとのあまたあれば猶うとまれぬ思ふ物から
Fototogisu
naga naku sato no
amata areba
naFo utomarenu
omoFu mono kara |
Cuckoo,
At length you sing at dwelling
After dwelling;
I find it hard to take,
Though you are dear to me. |
Anonymous
Topic unknown.
郭公なくこゑきけばわかれにしふるさとさへぞこひしかりける
Fototogisu
naku kowe kikeba
wakarenisi
Furusato saFe zo
koFisikarikeru |
Oh, cuckoo,
When I hear your song,
Those I left-long ago-
At home:
I miss them more than ever. |
Anonymous
Topic unknown.
夏山になく郭公心あらば物思ふ我に聲なきかせそ
natu yama ni
naku Fototogisu
kokoro araba
mono’omoFu ware ni
kowe nakikaseso |
In these summer mountains,
Oh, singing cuckoo,
Take pity on me-
So melancholy-
And shut up! |
Anonymous
'Simply moving and elegant'