Her reply
浪のうへに跡やは見ゆる水鳥のうきてへぬらん年はかずかは
nami no uFe ni ato ya Fa miyuru midutori no ukite Fenuran tosi Fa kazu ka Fa | Upon the waves Can you see tracks? The waterbirds Drift and passed by have The years, but so what? |
Anonymous
Sent to a lady with whom he had simply been exchanging letters for some years.
水鳥のはかなきあとに年をへてかよふばかりのえにこそ有りけれ
midutori no hakanaki ato ni tosi wo Fete kayoFu bakari no e ni koso arikere | Waterbirds leave But transient traces as The years go by— This simple back-and-forth is All we truly have! |
Anonymous
The same Major Counsellor, writing vertically upon delicate scarlet paper.
年ふともいはで朽ちぬる埋木の下の心はふりぬ恋かな
toshi futomo iwade kuchinuru umoregi no shita no kokoro wa furinu koi kana | The years pass by, yet Without a word, has rotted The drowned tree— Beneath it, my heart Has grown old with love! |
3
In reply
ふかからぬ水無瀬の川の埋木はしたの恋路は年ふりぬとも
fukakaranu minase no kawa no umoregi wa shita no koiji wa toshi furinu tomo | There’s no depth to The River Minase, where Drowned trees lie— Beneath, the paths of love Have grown old in years, and yet… |
Chikuzen, Daughter of Prince Yasusuke
4
Cranes in a garden (庭上鶴馴)
Left
庭の面に人になれたるあしたづはよはひをきみにゆづるなるべし
niwa no omo ni hito ni naretaru ashitazu wa yowai o kimi ni yuzurunarubeshi | Upon this garden’s face stands, Accustomed to folk, A crane; His years to my Lord Will he bestow, no doubt! |
A Court Lady
31
Right
千とせふるやどのけしきやしるからん汀のたづのなれにけるかな
chitose furu yado no keshiki ya shirukaran migiwa no tazu no narenikeru kana | Is it that a thousand years old This dwelling does appear? For to the muddy Water’s edge the cranes Have become accustomed! |
A Court Lady
32
Next Door 隣
色かへてふりぬる物は年たかきとなりの松とわれとなりけり
iro kaete furinuru mono wa toshi takaki tonari no matsu to ware to narikeri | Hues do change as Age falls upon one: Towering with years have Both the pines next door and I become. |
Nakazane
Old Folk 老人
しくちひくあこのはまやに年ふりていやみにましばしめられにけり
shikuchi hiku ako no hamaya ni toshi furite iyami ni mashiba shimerarenikeri | Fishing for mullet From a hut on Ako Beach Have I got on in years, and Detestation deeply Is graven on my heart. |
Toshiyori
Old Folk 老人
いやましにひたひのなみはかくれどもきえてもとしのゆきつもるかな
iyamashi ni hitai no nami wa kakuredomo kiete mo toshi no yuki tsumoru kana | More and more The waves upon my forehead Do I seek to hide, yet Though they vanish, the years In drifts of snow appear! |
Akinaka
Sages’ Dwellings 仙宮
古郷はいかになりにしをののえのくつるもしらず年のへぬれば
furusato wa ika ni narinishi ono no e no kutsuru mo shirazu toshi no henureba | My home, O, what has become of it? My axe handle Rotting, I noticed not, and So the years passed by… |
Daishin
Sages’ Dwellings 仙宮
たちぬはぬ衣の袖しふれければみちとせへてぞ桃もなりける
tachinuwanu koromo no sode shi furekereba michitose hete zo momo mo narikeru | Neither woven nor sewn are This robe’s sleeves, but When they wave Three thousand years go by Among the peaches. |
Toshiyori
Sages’ Dwellings 仙宮
いかにかく山ぢをいづる時のまにみし人もなくとしのへぬらん
ika ni kaku yamaji o izuru toki no ma ni mishi hito mo naku toshi no henuran | How is it that Departing on mountain paths For but a brief space of time Without someone known so well Makes it seem that years have passed? |
Akinaka
'Simply moving and elegant'