Composed on the moon at dawn at a mountain retreat.
やまざとのかどたのいねのほのぼのとあくるもしらず月を見るかな
| yamazato no kadota no ine no Fonobono to akuru mo sirazu tuki o miru kana | At a mountain retreat, that The rice seedlings in the paddy ‘fore my gate Are dimly Brightening, I know not, for My gaze is on the moon! |
Middle Counsellor Akitaka
中納言顕隆
Left
冬の池のうへはこほりてとぢたるをいかでか月のそこにすむらん
| fuyu no ike no ue wa kōrite tojitaru o ikade ka tsuki no soko ni sumuramu | A winter pond is Frozen above and Completely sealed, so Why is it that the moon Seems so clear upon its bed? |
Tomonori
137
Right
ふゆさむみみのもにかくるますかがみとくも我なむ老いまどふべく
| fuyu samumi mi no mo ni kakuru masukagami toku mo warenamu oimadoubeku | In winter’s chill Upon the water’s surface rests A clear glass, but Long since did I break it— Surely confused in my old age! |
138
Left
秋の月草むらわかずてらせばややどせる露を玉とみすらん
| aki no tsuki kusamura wakazu teraseba ya yadoseru tsuyu o tama to misuran | Does the autumn moon Not forge through the grassy thickets As it shines? For The dewdrops it lodges there It seems to display as jewels. |
114
Right
なほざりに秋のみやまに入りぬれば錦のいろの衣をこそきれ
| naozari ni aki nomi yama ni irinureba nishiki no iro no kinu o koso kire | Easily, indeed, Does autumn, simply, to the mountains Enter in, so In garb the hue of Brocade do they clothe themselves! |
115
Left
秋のせみさむき声にぞきこゆなる木のはの衣を風やぬぎつる
| aki no semi samuki koe ni zo kikoyunaru ko no ha no kinu o kaze ya nugitsuru | In the autumn, the cicadas’ Chill song I hear; Has the trees’ garb of leaves Been stripped from them by the wind? |
112[1]
Right
あきの夜の月の影こそ木の間よりおちてはきぬとみえわたりけれ
| aki no yo no tsuki no kage koso ko no ma yori ochite wa kinu to miewatarikere | On an autumn night The moon’s light, truly, From between the trees Does come a’falling Everywhere, it seems. |
113
[1] Shinsen man’yōshū 109/Fubokushō XIII: 5422
Left
秋のよのあまてる月の光にはおく白露を玉とこそ見れ
| aki no yo no ama teru tsuki no hikari ni wa oku shiratsuyu o tama to koso mire | On an autumn night The heaven-shining moon’s Light upon The fallen silver dewdrops Truly, makes them seem as jewels. |
98[1]
Right
あきののにおける露をばひとりぬる我が涙とも思ひしれかし
| aki no no ni okeru tsuyu oba hitori nuru wa ga namida to mo omoishire kashi | Upon the autumn fields Drop dewdrops; Sleeping alone, My tears— Think on them, why don’t you! |
99
[1] Shinchokusenshū V: 281/Shinsen man’yōshū 95
Left
夏の月ひかりをしまず照る時はながるる水にかげろふぞたつ
| natsu no tsuki hikari o shimazu teru toki wa nagaruru mizu ni kagerō zo tatsu | When summer moon’s Light lightly Shines From the running waters Haze arises! |
74
Right
琴の音にひびきかよへる松風はしらべても鳴く蝉の声かな
| koto no ne ni hibikikayoeru matsukaze wa shirabetemo naku semi no koe kana | A zither’s strains Echoing back and forth: The wind through the pines, In tune with the cries In the cicadas’ song! |
75[1]
[1] Shinshūishū III: 303/Shinsen man’yōshū 73/Kokin rokujō I: 398/Fubokushō IX: 3584
Left
なつの夜は水やまされる天の河ながるる月のかげもとどめぬ
| natsu no yo wa mizu ya masareru ama no kawa nagaruru tsuki no kage mo todomenu | On a summer night Is it that the waters are so fine Of the River of Heaven? Drifting, the moon’s Face, too, tarries not. |
61[1]
Right
去年の夏鳴きふるしてし郭公それかあらぬかこゑのかはらぬ
| kozo no natsu nakifurusiteshi hototogisu sore ka aranu ka koe no kawaranu | Last summer Did you sing as if there’d be no other, O, cuckoo; Is it you, or another, For your song is quite unchanged. |
62[2]
[1] A minor variant of this poem, with a headnote identifying it as being from this contest, is included in Shokugosenshū (IV: 214): 夏の夜は水まさればやあまのがはながるる月のかげもとどめぬ natsu no yo wa / mizu masareba ya / ama no kawa / nagaruru tsuki no / kage mo todomenu ‘On a summer night / Perhaps, because the waters are so fine / Of the River of Heaven? / Drifting, the moon’s / Face, too, tarries not.’
[2] Kokinshū III: 159/Shinsen man’yōshū 63
