Composed on the conception of being buried in frosty fallen leaves.
落ちつもる庭の木の葉を夜のほどにはらひてけりと見する朝霜
| otitumoru niwa no ko no Fa wo yo no hodo ni FaraFitekeri to misuru asasimo | Fallen, piled high at My estate, the leaves from the trees Within the space of a single night Have been swept away, It seems, by the morning frost. |
Anonymous
Composed on the conception of leaves falling in the rain.
木の葉散る宿は聞き分くかたぞなき時雨する夜も時雨せぬ夜も
| ko no Fa chiru yado Fa kikiwaku kata zo naki siguresuru yo mo siguresenu yo mo | Leaves falling from the trees At my house: listening, I Have no way to tell between Nights when showers fall, and Nights when showers fall not… |
Minamoto no Yorizane
しぐれの雨木の葉ばかりを染めくればかづきし袖は色もかはらず
| shigure no ame ko no ha bakari o somekureba kazukishi sode wa iro mo kawarazu | Showers of rain Simply, the trees’ leaves Do dye, so My drenched sleeves Hue remains unchanged. |
Ryūgen
木の葉のみちるかとおもひし時雨には涙もあへぬ物にぞ有りける
| ko no ha nomi chiru ka to omoishi shigure ni wa namida mo aenu mono ni zo arikeru | ‘Do the trees’ leaves simply Fall?’ I wondered; The showers Fail to match my tears At the thought. |
Toshiyori
Winter
Left
冬くれば紅葉ふりしく神無月佐保の山辺はむべもりぬらん
| fuyu kureba momiji furishiku kaminazuki saho no yamabe wa mube morinuran | When the winter comes, Scarlet leaves, falling and scattering In the Godless Month, Upon the slopes of Mount Saho, Indeed, are at their finest. |
19
冬ごもりかれてみゆらん梅がえは今はた花の春はにほはん
| fuyugomori karete miyuran ume ga e wa ima hata hana no haru wa niowan | Sealed in winter, and All withered seeming, The plum tree’s branches, Now, for sure, the blossoms’ Spring will scent. |
20
冬みれば水もまかせぬ小山田にいつすき返し種をまきけん
| fuyu mireba mizu mo makasenu oyamada ni itsu sukikaeshi tane o makiken | ‘Tis winter, I see, so There’s no water to draw for The little mountain paddies: O, when might I till them, and Sow my seeds, I wonder? |
21
Right
時雨降る宿にすまへば冬の夜に錦とみゆる木木の花かな
| shigure furu yado ni sumaeba fuyu no yo ni nishiki to miyuru kigi no hana kana | Showers fall Upon the house where I do dwell, so Upon a winter’s night As brocade do seem The blossoming trees! |
22
ゆふだすき神の社にかけつればしもし降るにもたのもしきかな
| yūdasuki kami no yashiro ni kaketsureba shimo shi furu ni mo tanomashiki kana | Sacred mulberry cords Around the God’s shrine Are hung, so Even amidst the frost fall, The future does seem bright! |
23
白雲のふたへふりしくときは山うらはへとしはみどりなりけれ
| shiragumo no futae furishiku tokiwa yama ura hae toshi wa midori narikere | Clouds of white Lie scattered, twofold, upon The unchanging mountain: Stretching out behind, the year Is simply green. |
24
しらたまのあきのこのはにやどれると見つるは露のはかるなりけり[1]
| shiratama no aki no ko no ha ni yadoreru to mitsuru wa tsuyu no hakaru narikeri | Pearls Upon the leaves of the autumn trees Have found lodging: At the sight, the dewdrops I’ll measure! |
51
ゆきかへりここもかしこもかりなれやあきくるごとにねをばなくらん
| yukikaeri koko mo kashiko mo kari nare ya aki kuru koto ni ne oba nakuran | Going back and forth, Hither and thither Are the geese? That autumn’s coming Is in their cries, it seems. |
52
[1] This poem was included in Gosenshū (VI: 311).
Envoy
石見の海打歌の山の木の間より我が振る袖を妹見つらむか
| ipami no umi ututa no yama no ko no ma yori wa ga puru sode wo imo mituramu ka | By the sea at Iwami, On Utsuta Mountain From between the trees I wave my sleeves – Will my darling glimpse them, I wonder? |
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro
[One of] five poems sent by Yakamochi, Lord Ōtomo, to the Elder Maiden of Sakanoe.
言問はぬ木すらあぢさゐ諸弟らが練りのむらとに詐かれけり
| koto topanu ki sura adisawi morotora ga neri no mura to ni azamukarekeri | Mute are Trees, yet even they blossom as hydrangeas do; Many are the men By your honeyed words Deceived, no doubt! |
Ōtomo no Yakamochi
Temples 寺
木の葉ちり鹿なく秋の山寺はいりあひのかねの音ぞさびしき
| ko no ha chiri shika naku aki no yamadera wa iriai no kane no oto zo sabishiki | Leaves scattering from the trees, and Stags crying – in autumn At a mountain temple The sunset bell’s Toll is lonely, indeed! |
Higo
An ancient-styled poem to supplement a long poem.
君が世に相坂山の岩清水木隠れたりと思ける哉
| kimi ga yo ni aFusakayama no iFasimidu kogakuretari to omoFikeru kana |
Your Majesty’s reign Is welcome so, as on the mount of Meeting Hill, Spring water from the crags Is hidden in the trees, thus I am I sunk in thought! |
Mibu no Tadamine