A question and response poem.
物不念 道行去毛 青山乎 振放見者 茵花 香未通女 桜花 盛未通女 汝乎曽母 吾丹依云 吾 毛曽 汝丹依云 荒山毛 人師依者 余所 留跡序云 汝心勤
物思はず 道行く行くも 青山を 振り放け見れば つつじ花 にほえ娘子 桜花 栄え娘子 汝れをぞも 我れに寄すといふ 我れをもぞ 汝れに寄すといふ 荒山も 人し寄すれば 寄そるとぞいふ 汝が心ゆめ
mono’omowazu michi yukuyuku mo aoyama o furisakemireba tsutsujibana nioe otome sakurabana hae otome nare o somo ware ni yosu to iu ware o mo nare ni yosu to iu arayama mo hito shi yosureba yosuru to zo iu na ga kokoroyume Unburdened by gloomy thoughts Along the path I went on and on, To the green-growing mountain, When in the distance I saw An azalea Fair bright maiden, A cherry blossom Glorious maiden: O, you, truly Give your heart to me; And I, too, Will give my heart to you; Upon the wild mountain Folk give their hearts To one another, so Never will I abandon you!
Inlets.
はらのいけに生ふるたまものかりそめにきみを我がおもふ物ならなくに
hara no ike ni ouru tamamo no karisome ni kimi o wa ga omou mono naranaku ni In Hara Pond Grows gemweed: Carelessly to pick it— My love for you is No such thing, so…
Anonymous
Left
あかずして君を恋ひつる涙にぞうきみしづみみやせわたりける
akazushite kimi o koitsuru namida ni zo ukimi shizumimi yasewatarikeru An endless hunger is My love for you; In tears does My flesh float and sink As it grows ever thinner.
170
Right
かしまなるつくまの神のつくづくと我が身ひとつに恋をつみつる
kashima naru tsukuma no kami no tsukuzuku to wa ga mi hitotsu ni koi o tsumikeru In Kashima Does the God of Tsukuma Constantly Upon my flesh, alone, Lay the burdens of love?
171
Left
あき山に恋する鹿の声たてて鳴きぞしぬべき君がこぬよは
akiyama ni koisuru shika no koe tatete naki zo shinubeki kimi ga konu yo wa In the autumn mountains A loving stag Cries out, I could die from weeping On nights you fail to come to call…
116[1]
Right
契りけむ心ぞつらき七夕の年にひとたびあふは逢ふかは
chigiriken kokoro zo tsuraki tanabata no toshi ni hito tabi au wa au ka wa The vow Of a pitiless heart: The Weaver Maid, But once a year Will meet; can it be true?
Fujiwara no Okikaze
117[2]
[1] Shokukokinshū XII: 1194/Shinsen man’yōshū 119
[2] Kokinshū IV: 178/Shinsen man’yōshū 460/Kokin rokujō I: 143
Fans (扇)
つねよりも身にもしむかな夕ざれの君にあふぎのかぜの気色は
tsune yori mo mi ni mo shimu kana yūsare no kimi ni ōgi no kaze no keshiki wa
More than normal does It pierce my soul! At early evening, The sight of you By fan’s breeze brushed…
Minamoto no Akinaka
An allusive variation on: Horikawa hyakushu 646 .
山鳥の峰ろのはつをに鏡懸け唱ふべみこそ汝に寄そりけめ
yamatori no
woro no hatsuwo ni
kagami kake
tonapubemi koso
na ni kosorikeme
A mountain pheasant’s
Tail of hempen cord
Hangs this mirror;
That you foresaw its song
Does make me love you more.
Anonymous
'Simply moving and elegant'