100 Poets:
Passions of the Imperial Court

1 Tenji Tennō   |   Emperor Tenji

秋の田のかりほの庵の苫をあらみわが衣手は露にぬれつつ 天智天皇

aki no ta no kariho no io no toma wo arami waga koromode wa tsuyu ni nuretsutsu

a temporary lookout hut

by the ripening rice fields

has a rough rush-thatched roof—

my sleeves are kept

wet with the dews

2 Jitō Tennō   |   Empress Jitō

春すぎて夏来にけらし白妙のころもほすてふ天のかぐ山 持統天皇

haru sugite natsu kinikerashi shirotae no koromo hosuchō ama no kaguyama

spring is over

and summer must have come—

on heavenly Mount Kagu,

pure white clothes

are said to be drying

3 Kakinomoto no Hitomaro

あしひきの山鳥の尾のしだり尾のながながし夜をひとりかも寝む 柿本人麻呂

ashihiki no yamadori no o no shidario no naganagashi yo wo hitori kamo nen

on a rugged mountain peak

a copper pheasant falls asleep

drooping its lengthy tail—

must I too sleep alone

through this long long night?

4 Yamabe no Akahito

田子の浦にうち出でて見れば白妙の富士のたかねに雪はふりつつ 山部赤人

tagonoura ni uchiidete mireba shirotae no fuji no takane ni yuki wa furitsutsu

as I come out and look up

from the coast of Tagonoura,

the pure white snow keeps falling

on the lofty peak

of Mount Fuji

5 Sarumaru Daifu   |   Sarumaru, A Troupe Leader

おくやまにもみぢ踏み分け鳴く鹿の声聞くときぞ秋はかなしき 猿丸大夫

okuyama ni momiji fumiwake naku shika no koe kiku toki zo aki wa kanashiki

deep in the mountains

stepping though the fallen crimson leaves

a deer cries for his mate—

when I hear the voice

autumn melancholy deepens

6 Chūnagon Yakamochi   |   Middle Counsellor Yakamochi

かささぎのわたせる橋に置く霜の白きを見れば夜ぞふけにける 中納言家持

kasasagi no wataseru hashi ni oku shimo no shiroki wo mireba yo zo fukenikeru

a heavenly bridge

of milky-feathered magpies—

the whiteness of frost

on the Imperial staircase

reminds me of night’s deepening

7 Abe no Nakamaro

あまの原ふりさけ見れば春日なる御蓋の山にいでし月かも 阿倍仲麿

ama no hara furisakemireba kasuga naru mikasa n oyama ni ideshi tsuki kamo

when I raise my face

to look at the heavenly fields,

I see the same moon

that I saw arise in Kasuga

from Mount Mikasa

8 Kisen Hōshi   |   Monk Kisen

わが庵は都のたつみしかぞ住む世をうぢ山と人はいふなり 喜撰法師

waga io wa miyako no tatsumi shika zo sumu yo wo ujiyama to hito wa iu nari

my hut, if you ask,

is to the capital’s southeast

where I live serenely—

yet people say I’ve renounced the world

only to live dismally in Mount Uji

9 Ono no Komachi

花のいろはうつりにけりないたづらに我身世にふるながめせしまに 小野小町

hana no iro wa utsurinikeri na itazura ni waga mi yo ni furu nagame seshi ma ni

the beauty of cherry blossoms

has passed its peak

in vain

while I looked idly

at the endless rain

10 Semimaru

これやこの行くも帰るも別れてはしるもしらぬもあふ坂の関    蝉丸 

kore ya kono yuku mo kaeru mo wakarete wa shiru mo shiranu mo ōsaka no seki

so this is the place

where all who come and go,

both friends and strangers,

meet again after parting—

the gate at Meeting Hill

11 Sangi Takamura   |   Consultant Takamura

わたのはら八十島かけてこぎいでぬと人には告げよ蜑のつりぶね 参議　篁

watanohara yasoshima kakete kogiidenu to hito ni wa tsuge yo ama no tsuribune

my boat has rowed out

on the vast expanse of waters

amid the eighty islands—

tell this to my loved one,

you who fish in fishing boats

12 Sōjō Henjō   |   High Priest Henjō

あまつ風くものかよひ路ふきとぢよ乙女のすがたしばしとどめむ 僧正遍昭

amatsukaze kumo no kayoiji fukitoji yo otome no sugata shibashi todomen

winds high in the sky

please blow and block

the gateway of clouds—

I wish to admire a little longer

the heavenly maidens’ figures

13 Yōzei’in   |   Retired Emperor Yōzei

筑波嶺のみねより落つるみなの川こひぞつもりて淵となりぬる 陽成院

tsukubane no mine yori otsuru minanogawa koi zo tsumorite fuchi to narinuru

from the peak of Mount Tsukuba

the Man-Woman River started to flow—

so, too, my love has grown

from a thin stream

to a deepening pool

14 Kawara no Sadaijin   |   The Kawara Minister of the Left

みちのくのしのぶもぢずりたれゆゑに乱れそめにし我ならなくに 河原左大臣

michinoku no shinobumojizuri tare yue ni midaresomenishi ware naranaku ni

like Michinoku’s disheveled cloth

of randomly printed patterns,

my heart is in disarray—

who but you, dear,

is to blame?

15 Kōkō Tennō   |   Emperor Kōkō

君がため春の野にいでて若菜摘むわが衣手に雪は降りつつ 光孝天皇

kimi ga tame harunono ni idete wakana tsumu waga koromode ni yuki wa furitsutsu

for you alone

I come out to the spring fields

to gather young herbs—

as I pick them, the snow keeps falling

onto my full sleeves

16 Chūnagon Yukihira   |   Middle Counsellor Yukihira

たちわかれいなばの山の峰におふるまつとしきかばいま帰りこむ 中納言行平

tachiwakare inaba no yama no mine ni ouru matsu to shi kikaba ima kaerikon

it is time to depart,

yet if I hear that you pine for me,

for the pines that grow

on the peak of Mount Inaba,

I shall return right away

17 Ariwara no Narihira no Ason   |   Ariwara no Narihira, Court Noble

ちはやぶる神代もきかず龍田川からくれなゐに水くくるとは 在原業平朝臣

chihayaburu kamiyo mo kikazu tatsutagawa karakurenai ni mizu kukuru to wa

not known even in the reign of gods

mighty enough to penetrate a thousand rocks:

the beauty of Tatsuta River,

tie-dying the water

in foreign crimson

18 Fujiwara no Toshiyuki no Ason   |   Fujiwara no Toshiyuki, Court Noble

住の江の岸による波よるさへやゆめのかよひ路人めよくらむ 藤原敏行朝臣

suminoe no kishi ni yoru nami yoru sae ya yume no kayoiji hitome yokuran

the waves washing

the shores of Suminoe—

even at night, in my dream,

on the passage that carries me to you

I hesitate, avoiding to be seen Fujiwara no Toshiyuki, Court Noble

19 Ise

難波潟 みじかき芦のふしの間も逢はでこの世をすぐしてよとや 伊勢

naniwagata mijikaki ashi no fushinoma mo awade kono yo wo sugushite yo toya

are you saying you won’t see me

in this lifetime,

not even as briefly

as between the joints in the reeds

at Naniwa lagoon?

20 Motoyoshi Shinnō   |   Prince Motoyoshi

わびぬれば今はたおなじ難波なるみをつくしても逢はむとぞ思ふ 元良親王

wabinureba ima hata onaji naniwa naru mi wo tukushite mo awan to zo omou

my depression has deepened

since our rumour circulated,

but to me it no longer matters—

like Naniwa’s selfless channel markers,

I must sacrifice myself to see you

21 Sosei Hōshi   |   Priest Sosei

いま来むといひしばかりに長月の有明の月を待ちいでつるかな 素性法師

iishi bakari ni nagatsuki no ariakenotsuki wo machiidetsuru kana

because you wrote

that you would come soon,

I have waited

till the rise of the morning moon

this ninth month

22 Fun’ya no Yasuhide

ふくからに秋の草木のしをるればむべ山風をあらしといふらむ 文屋康秀

fuku kara ni aki no kusaki no shiorureba mube yamakaze wo arashi to iuran

as it blows,

the autumn grass and trees

wither at once—

now I see why this mountain wind

is called a storm

23 Ōe no Chisato

月みればちぢに物こそかなしけれわが身ひとつの秋にはあらねど 大江千里

tsuki mireba chiji ni mono koso kanashikere wagami hitotsu no aki ni wa aranedo

as I look at the moon,

my mind is torn to a thousand pieces,

sinking me into sadness,

although this autumn

is not for me alone

24 Kanke   |   The House of Sugawara

このたびはぬさもとりあへず手向山もみぢのにしき神のまにまに 菅家

kono tabi wa nusa mo toriaezu tamukeyama momiji no nishiki kami no manima ni

on this pressing journey

I have no sacramental strips of silk

to offer the gods

but Mount Tamuke’s brocade of tinted leaves—

please accept them as you please

25 Sanjō no Udaijin   |   The Sanjō Minister of the Right

名にし負はば逢坂山のさねかづら人に知られで来るよしもがな　　 三条右大臣

na ni shi owaba ōsakayama no sanekazura hito ni shirarede kuru yoshi mogana

if you hold the power of your name,

oh Meeting Hill’s sleep-together vine,

then I wish your charm

would haul my love in closer

unnoticed by anyone

26 Teishinkō   |   Lord Teishin

をぐらやま峰の紅葉こころあらばいまひとたびのみゆきまたなむ 貞信公

ogurayama mine no momijiba kokoro araba ima hitotabi no miyuki matanan

Mount Ogura,

your peak covered with tinted leaves—

if you have a heart,

please stay tinted

till the next royal visit

27 Chūnagon Kanesuke   |   Middle Counsellor Kanesuke

みかの原わきてながるるいづみ川いつ見きとてか恋しかるらむ 中納言兼輔

mikanohara wakite nagaruru izumigawa itsu miki tote ka koishikaruran

here on the Mika Plain

the River Izumi springs forth

and surges through—

when have I met you? I haven’t,

yet I yearn for you as if I had

28   Minamoto no Muneyuki no Ason

       Minamoto no Muneyuki, Court Noble

山里は冬ぞさびしさまさりける人目も草もかれぬとおもへば 源宗于朝臣

yamazato wa fuyu zo sabishisa masarikeru hitome mo kusa mo karenu to omoeba

in a mountain village

winter is the most lonely,

for the comings and goings

of all the people

dry up with the grasses

29 Ōshikōchi no Mitsune

心あてに折らばや折らむはつ霜の置きまどはせるしらぎくの花 凡河内躬恒

kokoroate ni oraba ya oran hatsushimo no okimadowaseru shiragiku no hana

if I pluck

a white chrysanthemum,

I must pluck by guesswork

after the first frost

has disguised them

30 Mibu no Tadamine

有明のつれなくみえしわかれより暁ばかり憂きものはなし 壬生忠岑

ariake no tsurenaku mieshi wakare yori akatsuki bakari uki mono wa nashi

since our parting

when the morning moon

looked so indifferent,

no other time but dawn

makes me suffer

31 Sakanoue no Korenori

朝ぼらけ有明の月と見るまでに吉野の里にふれるしら雪 坂上是則

asaborake ariakenotsuki to miru made ni yoshino no sato ni fureru shirayuki

daybreak—

bright enough to suggest

it’s the dawn moon,

the snow’s whiteness

on Yoshino village

32 Harumichi no Tsuraki

山川に風のかけたるしがらみは流れもあへぬもみぢなりけり 春道列樹

yamagawa ni kaze no kaketaru shigarami wa nagare mo aenu momiji narikeri

the wind-placed weir

in a mountain stream

is, as it happens,

the tinted fallen leaves

unable to flow

33 Ki no Tomonori

ひさかたのひかりのどけき春の日にしづ心なく花の散るらん 紀友則

hisakata no hikari nodokeki harunohi ni shizugokoro naku hana no chiruran

the light filling the air

is so mild this spring day

only the cherry blossoms

keep falling in haste—

why is that so?

34 Fujiwara no Okikaze

誰をかもしる人にせん高砂の松もむかしの友ならなくに 藤原興風

tare wo kamo shiru hito ni sen takasago no matsu mo mukashi no tomo naranaku ni

at my great age

when all my friends are gone,

with whom can I make friends?

even Takasago’s ancient double pine tree

cannot be my friend

35 Ki no Tsurayuki

人はいさ心もしらずふるさとは花ぞむかしの香ににほひける 紀貫之

hito wa isa kokoro mo shirazu furusato wa hana zo mukashi no ka ni nioikeru

I wonder about you

but cannot read your mind—

in this village where I used to visit,

the plum blossoms still smell sweetly

the way they always did

36 Kiyohara no Fukayabu

夏の夜はまだ宵ながら明けぬるを雲のいづこに月やどるらむ 清原深養父

natsunoyo wa mada yoi nagara akenuru wo kumo no izuko ni tsuki yadoruran

the short summer night

begins to dawn, although it feels

like it is still evening—

where in the clouds

does the moon shelter

37 Fun’ya no Asayasu

しらつゆに風の吹きしく秋の野はつらぬきとめぬ玉ぞ散りける 文屋朝康

shiratsuyu ni kaze no fukishiku aki no no wa tsuranukitomenu tama zo chirikeru

in the autumn fields

the wind blows repeatedly

over the white dew—

each gust disperses

the pearls not strung

38 Ukon

わすらるる身をば思はずちかひてし人のいのちの惜しくもあるかな 右近

wasuraruru mi woba omowazu chikaiteshi hito no inochi no oshiku mo arukana

I should have known when we vowed

that I would be forgotten by you . . .

now that you have left me,

I worry about your life, you who swore

unchanging love before gods

39 Sangi Hitoshi   |   Consultant Hitoshi

浅茅生の小野のしのはらしのぶれどあまりてなどか人のこひしき 参議等

asajiu no ono no shinohara shinoburedo amarite nado ka hito no koishiki

like the thin bamboo

hidden in fields of cogon-grass,

I have tried to hide my love,

but I can no longer restrain myself—

why do I long so much for you?

40 Taira no Kanemori

しのぶれど色にいでにけりわが恋は物や思ふと人の問ふまで 平兼盛

shinoburedo iro ni idenikeri waga koi wa mono ya omou to hito no tou made

although I have tried

to hide my love in my heart,

it must show on my face—

people keep asking me

if I suffer from lovesickness

41 Mibu no Tadami

恋すてふわが名はまだき立ちにけり人知れずこそ思ひそめしか 壬生忠見

koisuchō wagana wa madaki tachinikeri hitoshirezu koso omoisomeshi ka

already the rumour

is being whispered around

that I’ve fallen in love,

yet I have just begun

to yearn for you in secret

42 Kiyohara no Motosuke

ちぎりきなかたみに袖をしぼりつつ末のまつ山浪こさじとは 清原元輔

chigiriki na katami ni sode wo shiboritsutsu suenomatsuyama nami kosaji to wa

do you not remember that we vowed,

as we wrung tears from our sleeves,

that the ocean waves

would never wash Sue’s Pine Hill,

that our hearts would never change

43 Gonchūnagon Atsutada   |   Acting Middle Counsellor Atsutada

あひ見ての後のこころにくらぶれば昔は物をおもはざりけり 権中納言敦忠

aimite no nochi no kokoro ni kurabureba mukashi wa mono wo omowazarikeri

compared to my heart

after spending a night with you,

my heart in the past,

before we met, hardly knew

the meaning of desperation

44 Chūnagon Asatada   |   Middle Counsellor Asatada

逢ふことの絶えてしなくはなかなかに人をも身をも恨みざらまし 中納言朝忠

au koto no taete shi naku wa nakanaka ni hito wo mo mi wo mo uramizaramashi

had I never met her

I would not feel

this bitter resentment at all

for her abject indifference

nor for my desperation

45 Kentokukō   |   Lord Kentoku

あはれともいふべき人はおもほえで身のいたづらになりぬべきかな 謙徳公

aware to mo iubeki hito wa omohoede mi no itazura ni narinu beki kana

I cannot even think

of anyone who might

take pity and love me . . .

am I to die in vain

with this longing?

46 Sone no Yoshitada

由良の門を渡る舟人かぢを絶えゆくへもしらぬ恋のみちかな 曽禰好忠

yuranoto wo wataru funabito kaji wo tae yukue mo shiranu koi no michi kana

a boatman

crossing Yura Strait,

has lost his rudder . . .

so, too, the passage of my love

knows no destination

47 Egyō Hōshi   |   Priest Egyō

八重むぐらしげれる宿のさびしきに人こそ見えね秋は来にけり 恵慶法師

yaemugura shigereru yado no sabishiki ni hito koso miene aki wa kinikier

with its tangled growth of weeds

the estate looks desolate—

no visitor is coming

yet autumn

is my guest

48 Minamoto no Shigeyuki

風をいたみ岩うつ浪のおのれのみくだけてものを思ふころかな 源重之

kaze wo itami iwa utsu nami no onore nomi kudakete mono wo omou koro kana

strong winds

shatter the waves

against unmoved rocks—

so, too, I suffer alone

from unreturned love

49   Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu no Ason
       Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu, Court Noble

みかきもり衛士のたく火の夜はもえ昼は消えつつものをこそ思へ 大中臣能宣朝臣

mikakimori eji no taku hi no yoru wa moe hiru wa kietsutsu mono wo koso omoe

at the Imperial Palace gate,

the watch fires built in iron baskets

burn through the night like my desire,

then go out in daylight

like my discouraged heart

50 Fujiwara no Yoshitaka

君がため惜しからざりしいのちさへ長くもがなと思ひぬるかな 藤原義孝

kimi ga tame oshikarazarishi inochi sae nagaku mogana to omoinuru kana

I thought before

that I would give my life

for one night with you,

but now that we have met

I wish to live on and on

51   Fujiwara no Sanekata no Ason

       Fujiwara no Sanekata, Court Noble

かくとだにえやはいぶきのさしも草さしもしらじな燃ゆる思を 藤原実方朝臣

kaku to dani eyawaibuki no sashimogusa sashimo shirajina moyuru omoi wo

how I wish to confess

my burning desire, but I cannot—

just as moxa herbs from Ibuki smolder

you may never suspect

my ardent passion

52 Fujiwara no Michinobu no Ason

        Fujiwara no Michinobu, Court Noble

明けぬれば暮るるものとはしりながらなほ恨めしき朝ぼらけかな 藤原道信朝臣

akenureba kururu mono to wa shirinagara nao urameshiki asaborake kana

when the day breaks

I know that night will fall again,

yet how disappointing

this morning glow is

after spending this night with you

53   Udaishō Michitsuna no Haha

       The Mother of the Commander of the Right Michitsuna

なげきつつひとりぬる夜の明くるまはいかに久しき物とかはしる 右大将道綱母

nagekitsutsu hitori nuru yo no akuru ma wa ikani hisashiki mono to kawa shiru

grieving alone in bed,

the time until dawn

passes ever so slowly,

but you, alas,

will never know

54 Gidōsanshi no Haha   |   The Mother of Associate Minister

忘れじの行末まではかたければ今日を限りの命ともがな 儀同三司母

wasureji no yukusue made wa katakereba kyō wo kagiri no inochi to mo gana

your vow

to never forget me

cannot be trusted for my lifetime—

thus I crave to make today

the last day of my life

55 Dainagon Kintō   |   Grand Counsellor Kintō

滝の音は絶えて久しくなりぬれど名こそ流れてなほきこえけれ 大納言公任

taki no oto wa taete hisashiku narinuredo na koso nagarete nao kikoekere

the waterfall’s sound

has ceased now

for many ages,

yet its fame flows on

and still is heard today

56 Izumi Shikibu

あらざらむこの世のほかの思ひ出にいまひとたびのあふこともがな 和泉式部

arazaran konoyo no hoka no omoide ni ima hitotabi no au koto mogana

after my passing

into the other world,

for a memory to cherish,

I wish to see you

just once more

57 Murasaki Shikibu

めぐり逢ひて見しやそれともわかぬまに雲がくれにし夜半の月かげ 紫式部

meguriaite mishi ya sore tomo wananu ma ni kumogakurenishi yowa no tsukikage

we met again by chance

but before I could tell

if it was really you,

the midnight moon vanished

into the clouds

58 Daini no Sanmi

ありま山ゐなの篠原かぜ吹けばいでそよ人を忘れやはする 大弐三位

arimayama ina no sasahara kaze fukeba ide soyo hito wo wasure yawa suru

near Mount Arima,

Ina’s field of bamboo grass

sways with the wind,

and now so do I—

how can I forget you?

59 Akazome Emon

やすらはで寝なましものを小夜ふけて傾ぶくまでの月を見しかな 赤染衛門

yasurawade nenamashi mono wo sayo fukete katabuku made no tsuki wo mishi kana

if I had known you would not come,

I would have gone to bed earlier,

but now, I have stayed up late

watching the moon

till it fell in the west

60 Koshikibu no Naishi

大江山いくのの道の遠ければまだふみも見ずあまの橋立 小式部内侍

ōeyama ikuno no michi no tōkereba mada fumi mo mizu ama no hashidate

the road to Mount Ōe, Ikuno fields,

and to Heaven’s Ladder is so very long—

I haven’t yet travelled the path,

nor have I seen

a letter from mother

61 Ise no Taifu

いにしへの奈良の都の八重ざくらけふ九重ににほひぬるかな 伊勢大輔

inishie no nara no miyako no yaezakura kyō kokonoe ni nioinuru kana

eightfold cherry blossoms

from the ancient capital of Nara—

today they bloom beautifully,

glowing in the sun

in this ninefold Imperial Palace

62 Sei Shōnagon

夜をこめて鳥のそらねははかるともよに逢坂の関はゆるさじ 清少納言

yo wo komete tori no sorane wa hakaru tomo yo ni ōsaka no seki wa yurusaji

while it is yet dark,

your crowing like a rooster

may deceive some folks,

but not Meeting Hill’s gate guards

who still will bar your passage

63 Sakyō no Daibu Michimasa   |   The Left City Commissioner Michimasa

今はただ思ひ絶えなむとばかりを人づてならでいふよしもがな 左京大夫道雅

ima wa tada omoitaenan to bakari wo hitozute narade iu yoshi mogana

all I wish for now is a way

to say in my own words, face to face,

and not through a messenger,

that I resign myself

to giving up our love

64 Gonchūnagon Sadayori   |   Acting Middle Counsellor Sadayori

朝ぼらけ宇治の川霧たえだえにあらはれわたる瀬瀬のあじろ木 権中納言定頼

asaborake uji no kawagiri taedae ni arawarewataru seze no ajirogi

the fog begins to clear

at dawn over the river Uji,

revealing the stakes

for wickerwork fishing nets

in the shallows here and there

65 Sagami

恨みわびほさぬ袖だにあるものを恋に朽ちなむ名こそをしけれ 相模

uramiwabi hosanu sode dani aru mono wo koi ni kuchinan na koso oshikere

bitterness and sorrow

keep my sleeves wet with tears,

yet they haven’t been ruined—

more to be pitied

is my love-wrecked reputation

66 Saki no Daisōjō Gyōson   |   Former Archbishop Gyōson

もとともにあはれと思へ山ざくら花よりほかに知る人もなし 前大僧正行尊

morotomo ni aware to omoe yamazakura hana yori hoka ni shiruhito mo nashi

join me, please,

mountain cherry tree,

in thinking akin of each other—

I have no one but your blossoms

to share my heart

67 Suō no Naishi

春の夜のゆめばかりなる手枕にかひなく立たむ名こそ惜しけれ 周防内侍

harunoyo no yume bakari naru tamakura ni kainaku tatan na koso oshikere

for this brief spring night’s dream

your faithless arm

could pillow my head—

yes, but how pointless the loss

of my reputation

68 Sanjōin   |   Retired Emperor Sanjō

心にもあらでうき世にながらへば恋しかるべき夜半の月かな 三条院

kokoro ni mo arade ukiyo ni nagaraeba koishikaru beki yowa no tsuki kana

although it is not my desire

to live longer

in this miserable world,

if I do, I will surely yearn

for tonight’s moon

69 Nōin Hōshi   |   Monk Nōin

あらし吹く三室の山のもみぢばは龍田の川のにしきなりけり 能因法師

arashi fuku mimuro no yama no momijiba wa tatsuta no kawa no nishiki narikeri

a storm blowing

the tinted maple leaves

of Mount Mimuro

has made a rich brocade

on the river Tatsuta

70 Ryōzen Hōshi   |   Monk Ryōzen

さびしさに宿を立ちいでてながむればいづこもおなじ秋のゆふぐれ 良暹法師

sabishisa ni yado wo tachiidete nagamureba izuko mo onaji aki no yūgure

overcome by loneliness

I step out from my hut,

but when I look around,

everywhere it is the same

autumn dusk

71 Dainagon Tsunenobu   |   Grand Counsellor Tsunenobu

夕されば門田の稲葉おとづれてあしのまろやに秋風ぞ吹く 大納言経信

yū sareba kadota no inaba otozurete ashi no maroya ni akikaze zo fuku

when evening comes

the ripe rice plants at my gate

make a rustling sound . . .

and the autumn wind blows

against my reed-thatched hut

72 Yūshi Naishinnō-ke no Kii

音に聞く高師の浜のあだ波はかけじや袖のぬれもこそすれ 祐子内親王家紀伊

oto ni kiku takashi no hama no adanami wa kakeji ya sode no nure mo koso sure

the famous waves

washing Takashi’s shore

are high and capricious,

but I will not let them

splash and drench my sleeves

73   Saki no Gonchūnagon Masafusa

       Former Acting Middle Counsellor Masafusa

高砂の尾上のさくら咲きにけり外山のかすみ立たずもあらなむ 前中納言匡房

takasago no onoe no sakura sakinikeri toyama no kasumi tatazu mo aranan

on the ridge

of distant high mountains,

the cherry trees have bloomed—

I wish that the foothill haze

will not rise too high

74   Minamoto no Toshiyori no Ason

       Minamoto no Toshiyori, Court Noble

うかりける人を初瀬の山おろしよはげしかれとはいのらぬものを 源俊頼朝臣

ukarikeru hito wo hatsuse no yamaoroshi yo hageshikare to wa inoranu mono wo

I pine for her in vain,

oh mountain wind from Hatsuse,

yet I did not pray to the kannon

to make her more harsh,

but to blow her to me

75 Fujiwara no Mototoshi

契りおきしさせもが露を命にてあはれことしの秋もいぬめり 藤原基俊

chigiriokishi sasemo ga tsuyu wo inochi nite aware kotoshi no aki mo inumeri

your promise,

as fragile as dew on a mugwort leaf,

has kept me alive,

but this year’s autumn, too,

seems to pass in vain

76   Hosshōji no Nyūdō Saki no Kanpaku Dajōdaijin

       The Hosshōji Novice, Former Regent and Chancellor

わたの原こぎいでてみればひさかたの雲居にまがふ沖つ白波 法性寺入道前関白太政大臣

watanohara kogiidete mireba hisakata no kumoi ni magau okitsushiranami

as I row out

onto the flat ocean,

the white wave-crests

blend in the distance

with the heavenly clouds

77 Sutokuin   |   Retired Emperor Sutoku

瀬を早み岩にせかるる滝川のわれても末にあはむとぞ思ふ 崇徳院

se wo hayami iwa ni sekaruru takigawa no warete mo sue ni awan to zo omou

the swift current

blocked by a boulder

splits but meets again—

so too do I wish to be

one with you again

78 Minamoto no Kanemasa

淡路島かよふ千鳥のなく声にいく夜ねざめぬ須磨の関守 源兼昌

awajishima kayou chidori no naku koe ni ikuyo nezamenu suma no sekimori

from Awaji Island,

the plovers visit and cry—

for how many nights

have I, Suma’s barrier keeper,

been kept awake?

79 Sakyō no Daibu Akisuke   |   The Left City Commissioner Akisuke

秋風にたなびく雲の絶間よりもれいづる月のかげのさやけさ 左京大夫顕輔

akikaze ni tanabiku kumo no taema yori moreizuru tsuki no kage no sayakesa

breaking through

an opening in the clouds

that trail on the autumn wind—

how clear and pure

the moonlight

80 Taiken Mon’in no Horikawa

長からむ心もしらず黒髪のみだれてけさは物をこそ思へ 待賢門院堀川

nagakaran kokoro mo shirazu kurokami no midarete kesa wa mono wo koso omoe

I cannot know how long

your heart will stay unchanged—

my thoughts this morning

are as tangled as my black hair

after a night with you

81 Gotokudaiji no Sadaijin   |   The Gotokudaiji Minister of the Left

ほととぎす鳴きつる方をながむればただ有明の月ぞのこれる 後徳大寺左大臣

hototogisu nakitsuru kata wo nagamureba tada ariake no tsuki zo nokoreru

the long-awaited cuckoo’s cry—

as I turn to see

where it sang,

all I find is

the pale morning moon

82 Dōin Hōshi   |   Monk Dōin

思ひわびさても命はあるものを憂きにたへぬは涙なりけり 道因法師

omoiwabi sate mo inochi wa aru mono wo uki ni taenu wa namida narikeri

suffering from her indifference

and lamenting my heartbreak,

yet my life continues—

it is only my tears

that cannot bear such bitterness

83   Kōtaigū no Daibu Shunzei

       Commissioner of the Grand Empress’ Household Office Shunzei

世の中よ道こそなけれ思ひ入る山のおくにも鹿ぞ鳴くなる 皇太后宮大夫俊成

yononaka yo michi koso nakere omoiiru yama no oku ni mo shika zo naku naru

from this world

we can never escape—

even deep in the mountains

where I come to contemplate,

the stag cries plaintively

84 Fujiwara no Kiyosuke no Ason   |   Fujiwara no Kiyosuke, Court Noble

ながらへばまたこの頃やしのばれむ憂しと見し世ぞいまは恋しき 藤原清輔朝臣

nagaraeba mata konogoro ya shinobaren ushi to mishi yo zo ima wa koishiki

should I live on,

I will fondly remember

this time of my life—

even the hard times of the past

are dear to me no

85 Shune Hōshi   |   Priest Shun’e

よもすがら物思ふころは明けやらぬ閨のひまさへつれなかりけり 俊恵法師

yomosugara monoomou koro wa akeyaranu neya no hima sae tsurenakarikeri

night after long night

as I lie pensively,

daybreak does not come easily—

even the gap between my bedroom doors

stays heartlessly dark

86 Saigyō Hōshi   |   Monk Saigyō

なげけとて月やは物を思はするかこち顔なるわが涙かな 西行法師

nageke tote tsuki ya wa mono wo omowasuru kakochigao naru waga namida kana

did the moon tell me

to lament my fate?

no, it did not,

yet my streaming tears

want to blame the moon

87 Jakuren Hōshi   |   Monk Jakuren

むらさめの露もまだひぬ真木の葉に霧たちのぼる秋のゆふぐれ　　 寂蓮法師

murasame no tsuyu mo mada hinu maki no ha ni kiri tachinoboru aki no yūgure

veiling the pine needles,

still wet with dew

from passing showers,

the fog rises high

this autumn twilight

88 Kōka Mon’in no Bettō   |   Intendant at Kōka Mon’in

難波江の芦のかり寝のひと夜ゆゑみをつくしてや恋ひわたるべき 皇嘉門院別当

naniwae no ashi no karine no hitoyo yue mi wo tsukushite ya koi wataru beki

just one night together,

brief as the joints between reeds

reaped from Naniwa Bay—

must I, for this faint love,

now sacrifice my life?

89 Shokushi Naishinnō   |   Princess Shokushi

玉の緒よ絶えなば絶えねながらへば忍ぶることの弱りもぞする 式子内親王

tama no o yo taenaba taene nagaraeba shinoburu koto no yowari mo zo suru

if the jeweled thread of life

is to be cut, then let it be cut—

for if I live on,

I may become too weak

to hide my secret love

90 Inpu Mon’in no Taifu

見せばやな雄島のあまの袖だにもぬれにぞぬれし色はかはらず 殷富門院大輔

misebaya na ojima no ama no sode dani mo nure ni zo nureshi iro wa kawarazu

although the drenched sleeves

of Ojima Island divers

never change their colour,

I wish to show you my sleeves

that run red from bloody tears

91   Gokyōgoku Sesshō Saki no Dajōdaijin

       The Go-Kyōgoku Regent and Former Chancellor

きりぎりす鳴くや霜夜のさむしろに衣かたしきひとりかも寝む 後京極摂政前太政大臣

kirigirisu naku ya shimoyo no samushiro ni koromo katashiki hitori kamo nen

a cricket is chirping . . .

on the frosty night’s cold rush mat,

am I to lie on a sleeve

of my own nightgown

and sleep alone?

92 Nijōin no Sanuki

わが袖は潮干に見えぬ沖の石の人こそしらねかわくまもなし 二条院讃岐

waga sode wa shiohi ni mienu oki no ishi no hito koso shirane kawaku ma mo nashi

my drooping sleeves

are like offshore rocks

hidden even at low tide,

thoroughly drenched with tears,

with never a chance to dry

93 Kamakura no Udaijin   |   The Kamakura Minister of the Right

世の中はつねにもがもな渚こぐあまの小舟の綱手かなしも 鎌倉右大臣

yononaka wa tsune nimo gamo na nagisa kogu ama no obune no tsunade kanashi mo

I wish the world

to stay unchanged forever—

how stirring it is

to see a fisherman’s rowboat

towed from along the shore

94 Sangi Masatsune   |   Consultant Masatsune

みよしのの山の秋かぜ小夜ふけてふるさと寒く衣うつなり 参議雅経

miyoshino no yama no akikaze sayo fukete furusato samuku koromo utsu nari

the autumn wind blows

from the mountains of Yoshino

deep into the night—

as the ancient capital grows colder

the villagers beat fabric into softness

95 Saki no Daisōjō Jien   |   Former Archbishop Jien

おほけなくうき世の民におほふかなわがたつ杣に墨染の袖 前大僧正慈円

ōke naku ukiyo no tami ni ōu kana waga tatsu soma ni sumizome no sode

failing to know my place,

I wish to save people in this troubled world

as I start to dwell at Mount Hiei

by spreading out the black-dyed sleeves

of my monk’s habit

96 Nyūdō Saki no Dajōdaijin   |   The Novice and Former Chancellor

花さそふあらしの庭の雪ならでふりゆくものはわが身なりけり 入道前太政大臣

hana sasou arashi no niwa no yuki narade furiyuku mono wa wagami narikeri

a windstorm tempts cherry blossoms

to scatter their petals over the garden—

no, it is not snow

that has fallen and accumulated

but my own age

97 Gonchūnagon Teika   |   Acting Middle Counsellor Teika

こぬ人をまつほの浦の夕なぎに焼くや藻塩の身もこがれつつ 権中納言定家

konu hito wo matsuho no ura no yūnagi ni yaku ya moshio no mi mo kogaretsutsu

I wait for my love in vain

in the suffocating evening calm

of Matsuho Bay

where seaweed is burnt for salt—

I too blaze with passion

98 Jūnii Ietaka   |   Junior Second Rank Ietaka

風そよぐならの小川のゆふぐれはみそぎぞ夏のしるしなりける 従二位家隆

kaze soyogu nara no ogawa no yūgure wa misogi zo natsu no shirushi narikeru

oak leaves rustle in the breeze,

and the twilight at Nara Brook

is already chilly—

only ritual washings show

that summer is still here

99 Gotobain   |   Retired Emperor Go-Toba

人もをし人もうらめしあぢきなく世を思ふゆゑに物思ふ身は 後鳥羽院

hito mo oshi hito mo urameshi ajikinaku yo wo omou yue ni monoomou mi wa

people are dear

and also hateful—

in this disappointing world,

I am positioned to care

and to think of the way life is

100   Juntokuin   |   Retired Emperor Juntoku

ももしきや古き軒端のしのぶにも猶あまりある昔なりけり 順徳院

momoshiki ya furuki nokiba no shinobu ni mo nao amariaru mukashi narikeri

under the old eaves

of the Imperial Palace,

memory ferns are thriving—

the glories of the old days

are ever more appealing