An ancient estate at the beginning of spring.
朝がすみたてるをみればみづのえのよしのの宮に春はきにけり
| asagasumi tateru o mireba mizu no e no yoshino no miya ni haru wa kinikeri | When the morning haze Rising I do see By the water’s edge At the palace of Yoshino Spring has come! |
Left
さくはなのちりつつうかぶみづのおもにいかでうき草ねざしそめけむ
| saku hana no chiritsutsu ukabu mizu no omo ni ikade ukikusa nezashi somekemu | Blossom blooming and Ever scattering, and floating Upon the surface of the water, So why might the waterweed Begin to put down roots? |
76
Right
まつひとはつねならなくにほととぎすおもひのほかになかばうからむ
| matsu hito wa tsune naranaku ni hototogisu omoi no hoka ni nakaba ukaramu | The one awaiting you is Ever changing, O, cuckoo, but If, my longing you should not meet With your song, how I will hate you! |
77
Love
Five poems, stopping at five
Left (Win)
なみだがはいかなるみづかながるらんなどわがこひをけすひとのなき
| namidagawa ika naru mizu ka nagaruran nado wa ga koi o kesu hito no naki | In the River of Tears What sort of water is it That does flow? Why is it that my love’s burn To extinguish is there no one? |
Okikaze
51
Right
みをもかへおもふものからこひといへばもゆるなかにもいるこころかな
| mi o mo kae omou mono kara koi to ieba moyuru naka ni iru kokoro kana | Staking my life is Often in my thoughts, but Within the fires of love, Burning, Does my heart lie! |
Okikaze
52
Left
さよふけてなどかなくらむほととぎすたびねのやどをかすひとやなき
| sayo fukete nado ka nakuramu hototogisu tabine no yado o kasu hito ya naki | Brief night breaks, so Why does he cry so? The cuckoo A lodging on his journey Has no one to lend him! |
49
Right (Win)
なつのいけによるべさだめぬうきくさのみづよりほかにゆくかたもなし
| natsu no ike ni yorube sadamenu ukikusa no mizu yori hoka ni yuku kata mo nashi | Upon the pond in summer No destination has The waterweed, so Other than the water It has no place to go… |
Okikaze
50
Left (Tie)
むらさきにあふみづなれやかきつばたそこのいろさへかはらざるらむ
| murasaki ni au mizu nare ya kakitsubata soko no iro sae kawararuramu | Violet Suits the water here! Irises The hues beneath Seem to have changed. |
Mitsune
45
Right
ほととぎすこゑのみするはふくかぜのおとはのやまになけばなりけり
| hototogisu koe nomi suru wa fuku kaze no otowa no yama ni nakeba narikeri | A cuckoo’s Call alone upon The gusting wind; Wingbeats sound on Otowa Mountain Where he does sing. |
46
Left
さくらばなちりぬるかぜのなごりにはみづなきそらになみぞたちける
| sakurabana chirinuru kaze no nagori ni wa mizu naki sora ni nami zo tachikeru | The cherry blossom Scattering wind as A keepsake in The waterless skies Has roused the waves. |
Tsurayuki
37
Right
みなそこにはるやくるらんみよしののよしののかはにかはづなくなり
| minasoko ni haru ya kururan miyoshino no yoshino no kawa ni kawazu nakunari | To the water’s depths Has the spring arrived, it seems, for In fair Yoshino From the Yoshino River The frogs are singing. |
Tsurayuki
38
The Right won. His Majesty remarked, ‘There is a Royal poem here, so how could it lose?’
Left (Tie)
かけてのみみつつぞしのぶむらさきにいくしほそめしふぢのはなぞも
| kakete nomi mitsutsu zo shinobu murasaki ni iku shiosomeshi fuji no hana zo mo | Hanging there do I Ever gaze with wonder on Their violet hues— How many dippings dyed The wisteria blossom so? |
Mitsune
33
Right
みなそこにしづめるはなのかげみればはるのふかくもなりにけるかな
| minasoko ni shizumeru hana no kage mireba haru no fukaku mo narinikeru kana | When in the water’s depths Sunken blossoms’ Shapes I see, How deep the springtime Has become! |
Korenori
34
Composed on seeing scattered cherry blossoms floating on the stream at his house.
ここにこぬ人もみよとてさくらばな水の心にまかせてぞやる
| koko ni konu Fito mo miyo tote sakurabana midu no kokoro ni makasete zo yaru | To folk who fail to come Here, I’d say, ‘Behold!’ O, cherry blossoms, The water’s heart I’ll trust, to send you on your way. |
Ōe no Yoshitoki
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