Tag Archives: valley

Sahyōe no suke sadafumi uta’awase 9

The Beginning of Winter

Left (Tie)

しものうへにふるはつゆきのあさごほりとけむほどこそひさしかりけれ

shimo no ue ni
furu hatsuyuki no
asagōri
tokemu hodo koso
hisashikarikeri
Upon the frost
Falls first snow turning
To ice with the morning;
The time ‘twill take to melt
Will be long, indeed.

17

Right

かみなづきもみぢのいろはふくかぜとたにのみづとぞおとしはてつる

kaminazuki
momiji no iro wa
fuku kaze to
tani no mizu to zo
otoshihatetsuru
In the Godless Month
The scarlet leaves’ hue
With the gusting wind, and
The waters in the valley, do
Drop completely.

Mitsune
18

Horikawa-in enjo awase 1

This match took place when, hearing that his courtiers were composing poetry, His Majesty ordered them to compose love poems to the ladies in attendance.

おもひあまりいかでもらさんおく山の岩かきこむる谷の下みづ

omoi’amari
ikade morasan
okuyama no
iwa kakikomuru
tani no shitamizu
My passion’s full, so
How should it o’erflow?
Deep within the mountains
Hemmed in by crags are
The waters of the valley floor…

Major Counsellor Kinzane
1

In reply

いかなれば音にのみきく山川の浅きにしもはこころよすらん

ika nareba
oto ni nomi kiku
yamakawa no
asaki ni shimo wa
kokoro yosuran
For some reason,
I simply hear the sound
Of a mountain stream;
Into the shallows, indeed, has
Your heart been swept, it seems!

[Nakako,] The Suō Handmaid
2

KKS II: 118

A poem from a poetry competition held by Her Majesty, the Empress, during the Kanpyō period.

吹風と谷の水としなかりせば深山がくれの花を見ましや

Fuku kaze to
tani no midu to si
nakariseba
miyama gakure no
Fana wo mimasi ya
The gusting wind and
The valley’s waters
Were there none, then
Hidden in the mountains’ depths
These blossoms – would any wish to see them?

Tsurayuki