A poem on warblers by Ōtomo sukune Yakamochi.
打霧之 雪者零乍 然為我二 吾宅乃苑尓 鶯鳴裳
うちきらし ゆきはふりつつ しかすがに わぎへのそのに うぐひすなくも
utikirasi yuki pa puritutu sikasuga ni wagipe no sono ni ugupisu naku mo All is darkened by The ever-falling snow, But even so Within the garden of my home Sings a warbler!
Composed on warblers.
うちきらし雪はふりつつしかすがにわが家のそのに鶯ぞなく
utikirasi yuki Fa Furitutu sikasuga ni wa ga ya no sono ni uguisu zo naku All is darkened by The ever-falling snow, But even so In the grounds around my home Indeed, the warbler sings!
Ōtomo no Yakamochi
Topic unknown.
かきくらし雪はふりつつしかすがにわが家のそのに鶯ぞなく
kakurasi yuki Fa Furitutu sikasuga ni wa ga ya no sono ni uguFisu zo naku Raking in the darkness, The snow is ever falling, But even so In the grounds around my home Indeed, the warbler sings!
打靡 春去来者 小竹之末丹 尾羽打触而 鶯鳴毛
うちなびく はるさりくれば しののうれに をはうちふれて うぐひすなくも
utinabiku paru sarikureba sino no ure ni wopa utipurete ugupisu naku mo When, trailing in, Comes spring, The leaf-tips of the arrow bamboo Brush against the wings and tail Of the singing warbler!
Left
ねざめつつみをうぐひすのねをぞなくはなさかりにしきみをこふれば
nezametsutsu mi o uguisu no ne o zo naku hana sakarinishi kimi o koureba Every time I wake, My flesh, as a warbler, Lets out sobbing cries, For, fair as a blossom in bloom, It is you I long for, my lady…
7
Right
ことにいでてなにかいふべきねざめつつこふるしたひもそらにとくらむ
koto ni idete nani ka iubeku nezametsutsu kouru shitahimo sora ni tokuramu To put it into words, What is there I can say? Every time I wake, Your underbelt, which I want so, Seems to be loosening in the skies alone.
8
Composed and sent when he heard that Inspector Kinmichi had had a number of people compose poems on the bush warbler at his residence.
春霞たちへだつれど鶯の声はかくれぬものとしらずや
harugasumi tachihedatsuredo uguisu no koe wa kakurenu mono to shirazu ya The haze of spring Arising, interferes, yet The warbler Is unable to conceal his cry— I wonder if he know it?
Former Consultant Tsunemori
Love.
Left
人知れぬ恋の涙はうぐひすの初声にこそながれいでぬれ
hito shirenu koi no namida wa uguisu no hatsukoe ni koso nagare’idenure Unknown to all My tears of love With the warbler’s First cry have Burst into flow!
3
Right
いかならむときか忘れむ春霞たちゐる空も君ぞこひしき
ika naramu toki ka wasuremu harugasumi tachi’iru sora mo kimi zo koishiki What is to become of me? Can I forget the time, when The spring haze Rising into the skies, too, Was dear to me as you?
4
Tsurayuki’s Poetry Match,[i] 28th day of the Second Month, Tengyō 2[ii]
The beginning of spring.
Left
白雪のみにふりながら梅の花をりつるほどに春は来にけり
shirayuki no mi ni furinagara mume no hana oritsuru hodo ni haru wa kinikeri Snow, so white, Falling upon my flesh, While the plum blossom, Branches are breaking Spring has come!
1
Right
鶯の巣立ちし日よりはるばるとおもひは音にぞまづなかれける
uguisu no sudachishi hi yori harubaru to omoi wa ne ni zo mazu nakareru Since the day the bush warbler Departed his nest, Endlessly Have I thought his song For the present has not been here.
2
[i] Tsurayuki uta’awase 貫之歌合
[ii] 21 March 939
Chinaberry
うぐひすの来の花とのみいふなればあふち どりをばすゑむともせず
uguisu no ki no hana to nomi iu nareba au chi dori oba suemu to mo sezu The bush warbler Come simply for the blossom They do say, but On meeting a plover, then You’ll not make it roost there!
5
This is another acrostic with the name of the plant, ōchi [auchi ], contained within au chidori .
Original
うぐひすのなきつるなへにかすがののけふのみゆきをはなとこそみれ
uguisu no nakitsuru nae ni kasugano no kyō no miyuki o hana to koso mire While the warbler Sings on Kasuga Plain Today, accompanying the progress, snow As blossom does appear.[1]
16
Left (Win)
いまはしもはなとぞいはむかすがののはるのみゆきをなにとかは見む
ima wa shimo hana to zo iwamu kasugano no haru no miyuki o nani to ka wa mimu Now, of all, The blossom, I would describe, On Kasuga Plain, as Springtime progress snow— What else can I say?
17
Right
ふるさとにゆきまじりたるはなと見ばわれにおくるなのべのうぐひす
furusato ni yukimajiritaru hana to miba ware ni okuru na nobe no uguisu Around the ancient capital Have I gone amidst the snow— If as blossom I did see it, then, O, don’t send me off, Warbler upon the plain!
18
[1] SIS 1044 attributed to Fujiwara no Tadafusa ‘Headnote ‘Among the many poems presented by provincial officials, when the Kyōgoku Lady of the Bedchamber visited Kasuga.’
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