Composed at the Poetry Match held at the Residence of the Uji Former Grand Minister.
山ざくらさきそめしより久かたの雲井にみゆるたきのしらいと
yamazakura
sakisomeshi yori
hisakata no
kumoi ni miyuru
taki no shira’ito | Since the mountain cherries
Have begun to bloom,
The eternal
Clouds seem
Threaded with a waterfall of white. |
Lord Minamoto no Toshiyori
Created with Soan.
The Seventh Night 七夜
しらいとをむすべることぞこよひまでいく万代のかずつもるらん
shira’ito o
musberu koto zo
koyoi made
iku yorozuyo no
kazu tsumoruran | With threads of white
Have you been bound
Up to this night, that
Uncounted myriads of ages
May mount up for you henceforth |
Akinaka
Waterfalls 滝
谷川やおちくる滝のしらいとを水のあやには織るにやあるらん
tanikawa ya
ochikuru taki no
shira’ito o
mizu no aya ni wa
oru ni ya aruran | From a stream within the valley
Comes tumbling a cataract of
White threads:
A motley pattern of water
Do they seem to weave? |
Daishin
Waterfalls 滝
山たかみおちくる滝のしらいとをむすぶしづくに玉ぞこぼるる
yama takami
ochikuru taki no
shira’ito o
musubu shizuku ni
tama zo koboruru | From the mountain’s heights
Comes tumbling a cataract of
White threads,
Twined from droplets,
Their gemlets overflowing. |
Higo
Waterfalls 滝
梢よりおちくるたきのしらいとはよにひさにへてなるにやあるらん
kozue yori
ochikuru taki no
shira’ito wa
yo ni hisa ni hete
naru ni ya aruran | From the treetops
Come tumbling a cascade of
White threads;
Endlessly does this night pass by,
Or so it seems, does it not? |
Nakazane
Waterfalls 滝
水上にいかなるまゆをくりければたえせざるらんたきのしらいと
minakami ni
ika naru mayu o
kurikereba
taesezaruran
taki no shira’ito | In the water’s upper reaches
Somehow, cocoons do
Spool, so
Endless seem
The cataract’s white threads… |
Akinaka
Composed on autumn leaves when the late Minister of Ceremonial had gone to the River Ōi.
水上に紅葉ながれて大井河むらごにみゆる瀧の白糸
minakami ni
momidi nagarete
oFiwigaFa
murago ni miyuru
taki no siraito |
From upstream
Flow the scarlet leaves upon
The River Ōi
Seeming to spatter colour on
The cataracts’ white threads… |
The Horikawa Minister of the Right [Fujiwara no Yorimune]
堀川右大臣 [藤原頼宗]
'Simply moving and elegant'
