Last | Poems 841~870 (of 951) | Next

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  • 841
  • NotesThe prologue reads: “Remembering a poem of someone of fine character from Saga...” This poem is from a letter Rengetsu wrote to Murakami Tadamasa, 村上忠順 (1812-1884). Sodou Murakami, compiler of the Collected Works of Otagaki Rengetsu (1927), noted that the meaning of the fourth line in the poem (“naoi no kimi ni”) was unclear. Since “naoi no kimi no means “correction,” Tadamasa must have set something right.
  • Ah, envy...

    getting familiar with you

    who made the world right...

    I wish also to be

    a person of such good character.

    うらやまし

    なほひの君に

    なづさひて

    よきさが人と

    なりやしつらん

    Urayamashi

    naoi no kimi ni

    nazusai te

    yoki sagahito to

    nari ya shi tsu ran.

    うらやましなほひのきみになつさひてよきさかひととなりやしつらん

    うらやましなおいのきみになずさいてよきさがひととなりやしつらん

  • 842
  • NotesThis poem from comes from a letter to Murakami Tadamasa (村上忠順 / 1812~1884).
  • Your coming

    more hope than I dare

    but should it be so

    the life of this old one

    shall lengthen.

    君こんの

    あいなだのみも

    かかりせば

    老がいのちも

    のびんとすらん

    Kimi ko n no

    ainadanomi mo

    kakari se ba

    oi ga inochi mo

    nobi n to su ran.

    きみこんのあいなたのみもかかりせはおいかいのちものひんとすらん

    きみこんのあいなだのみもかかりせばおいがいのちものびんとすらん

  • 843
  • NotesThe prologue reads: “In answer: 'You saw me off at a fork [in the road]...'” This poem from comes from a letter to Murakami Tadamasa (村上忠順 / 1812~1884).
  • Parting from you

    after our lovely

    unforgettable conversation

    I cannot help gazing

    upon the narrow path to my hut.

    わすられぬ

    みやびがたりの

    わかれより

    かどの小道ぞ

    ながめられける

    Wasura re nu

    miyabi gatari no

    wakare yori

    kado no komichi zo

    nagame rare keru.

    わすられぬみやひかたりのわかれよりかとのこみちそなかめられける

    わすられぬみやびがたりのわかれよりかどのこみちぞながめられける

  • 844
  • NotesThis poem from comes from a letter to Murakami Tadamasa (村上忠順 / 1812~1884).
  • Since I am

    not a diver in the sea

    but a nun in a mountain village

    I get little seaweed

    and few chances to meet you.

    かづきせぬ

    あまにしあれば

    山ざとに

    君をみるめぞ

    ともしかりける

    Kazuki se nu

    ama ni shi are ba

    yamazato ni

    kimi wo mirume zo

    tomoshikari keru.

    かつきせぬあまにしあれはやまさとにきみをみるめそともしかりける

    かずきせぬあまにしあればやまざとにきみをみるめぞともしかりける

  • 845
  • Notes
  • Having thought

    “By all means!”

    now I am old, so...

    without seeing Mount Fuji

    my life will end.

    いかでとは

    思ひながらも

    老ぬれば

    ふじもみずてや

    をはりはてなん

    Ikade to wa

    omoi nagara mo

    oi nure ba

    Fuji mo mi zu te ya

    owari hate na n.

    いかてとはおもひなからもおいぬれはふしもみすてやをはりはてなん

    いかでとはおもいながらもおいぬればふじもみずてやおわりはてなん

  • 846
  • NotesThe title reads: “When Mr. Murakami sent me a book, 'The Guide Book of Famous Sights' (Meisho no Shiori / 名所栞).” This poem addresses Murakami Tadamasa (村上忠順 / 1812~1884) regarding the aforementioned book, which he wrote and published in 1887.
  • Long imagined

    shrines

    of gods...

    now, with your grace

    I may gaze upon them.

    としをへて

    おもひしかみの

    宮ばしら

    君がめぐみに

    をがみつるかな

    Toshi wo he te

    omoi shi kami no

    miyabashira

    kimi ga megumi ni

    ogami tsuru kana.

    としをへておもひしかみのみやはしらきみかめくみにをかみつるかな

    としをへておもいしかみのみやばしらきみがめぐみにおがみつるかな

  • 847
  • NotesThe prologue reads: “For an incense caddy shaped like a turtle.” The poem addresses the turtle.
  • Go and serve

    one who shall live

    to a turtle's age—

    the 10,000 generations

    your name foretells.

    なれが名の

    かめのよはひの

    萬世も

    へぬべき人に

    ゆきてつかへね

    Nare ga na no

    kame no yowai no

    yorozuyo mo

    he nu beki hito ni

    yuki te tsukae ne.

    なれかなのかめのよはひのよろつよもへぬへきひとにゆきてつかへね

    なれがなのかめのよわいのよろずよもへぬべきひとにゆきてつかえね

  • 848
  • NotesThe prologue reads: “When I received a letter from Mr. Nishimura after a long silence.” Nishimura Aritoshi (西村有年) was an samurai retainer of Hikone domain (彦根藩). Since geese are migratory birds, they are imagined to carry letters in fall and spring when they are in Japan. In this poem, Rengetsu uses the term "summer goose" to show how rare and precious such a letter from Nishimura-san was.
  • Neither spring

    nor autumn

    yet I am happy

    he carries a letter—

    a summer goose.

    春秋に

    あらぬものから

    玉づさを

    かけてうれしき

    夏の雁がね

    Haruaki ni

    ara nu monokara

    tamazusa wo

    kake te ureshiki

    natsu no karigane.

    はるあきにあらぬものからたまつさをかけてうれしきなつのかりかね

    はるあきにあらぬものからたまずさをかけてうれしきなつのかりがね

  • 849
  • Notes
  • A pleasure

    nearly overflowing

    my cupped hands...

    as they were in the old days—

    lines from your brush.

    むすぶてに

    こぼるるばかり

    うれしきは

    昔ながらの

    水ぐきのあと

    Musubu te ni

    koboruru bakari

    ureshiki wa

    mukashi nagara no

    mizuguki no ato.

    むすふてにこほるるはかりうれしきはむかしなからのみつくきのあと

    むすぶてにこぼるるばかりうれしきはむかしながらのみずぐきのあと

  • 850
  • NotesThe prologue reads: “[In reply] to [the phrase] 'one who sells a fern...” “One who sells a fern” was a phrase Nishimura-san had used in a previous letter to Rengetsu, and seems to indicate a difficulty Nishimura-san had, likely the Tenchugumi incident (天誅組). This poem is from a letter from Rengetsu to Nishimura-san. The term “jumbled color” refers to the seemingly disordered pattern in which green leaves grow on a fern.
  • You bore sad things...

    how happy I am to hear

    the fern's jumbled color

    has straightened out

    and your line honored.

    うきことを

    しのぶのみだれ

    うちとけて

    めでたきすぢと

    きくぞうれしき

    Uki koto wo

    shinobu no midare

    uchi toke te

    medetaki suji to

    kiku zo ureshiki.

    うきことをしのふのみたれうちとけてめてたきすちときくそうれしき

    うきことをしのぶのみだれうちとけてめでたきすじときくぞうれしき

  • 851
  • Notes
  • The Hikone wind

    blew fiercely

    at Washikaguchi...

    wings broken

    they seem to have fallen.

    ひこねかぜ

    はげしく吹て

    わしかぐち

    つばさもをれて

    ちりやしつらん

    Hikonekaze

    hageshiku fuki te

    Washikaguchi

    tsubasa mo ore te

    chiri ya shi tsu ran.

    ひこねかせはけしくふきてわしかくちつはさもをれてちりやしつらん

    ひこねかぜはげしくふきてわしかぐちつばさもおれてちりやしつらん

  • 852
  • NotesThe prologue reads: “In an answer to your words: 'Autumn leaves in deep color...'” The god Katsute (勝手) is enshrined at Katsute Shrine (勝手神社) in the Yoshino area (吉野) of northwestern Kyoto. The victory here refers to the Tenchugumi incident (天誅組).
  • At Mount Yoshino...

    like the high name

    of the god Katsute

    your victory

    is a great merit.

    よしの山

    高くきこえし

    神の名の

    かつてはきみが

    いさをなるらん

    Yoshinoyama

    takaku kikoe shi

    kami no na no

    Katsute wa kimi ga

    isao naru ran.

    よしのやまたかくきこえしかみのなのかつてはきみかいさをなるらん

    よしのやまたかくきこえしかみのなのかつてはきみがいさおなるらん

  • 853
  • NotesThe prologue reads: “When Nishimura's son came to Rengetsu's house, she misheard what he said. To say sorry to that...”
  • You shall live a thousand

    nay, eight thousand ages...

    to have misheard

    with careless ears...

    how sorry I am!

    ちよやちよ

    有年君を

    ひがみみに

    聞たがへしぞ

    かしこかりける

    Chiyo yachiyo

    aru toshi kimi wo

    higamimi ni

    kiki tagae shi zo

    kashikokari keru.

    ちよやちよあるとしきみをひかみみにききたかへしそかしこかりける

    ちよやちよあるとしきみをひがみみにききたがえしぞかしこかりける

  • 854
  • NotesThe prologue reads: “When I received a thick quilt from Mr. Nishimura...”
  • A thick quilt

    generous in both

    width and grace....

    in my grass hut—

    too large to spread.

    はたはりも

    めぐみもひろき

    あつぶすま

    草のいほりに

    しきあまりつつ

    Hatahari mo

    megumi mo hiroki

    atsubusuma

    kusa no iori ni

    shiki amari tsutsu.

    はたはりもめくみもひろきあつふすまくさのいほりにしきあまりつつ

    はたはりもめぐみもひろきあつぶすまくさのいおりにしきあまりつつ

  • 855
  • NotesThis poem is from a letter to Murakami Tadamasa. She seems to be encouraging him, calling his enemies to belligerent savages and praising the divine intervention she expects in favor of Murakami-san. Perhaps this poem (like 840) refers to Murakami's time at Sagaguchi.
  • The mercy

    of the god who came down

    meant for wiping away

    the belligerent savages

    appears to be a magic cloth.

    あもります

    神のみかげは

    くなたぶれ

    えみしらはらふ

    ひれにやあるらん

    Amori masu

    kami no mikage wa

    kunatabure

    emishi ra harau

    hire ni ya aru ran.

    あもりますかみのみかけはくなたふれえみしらはらふひれにやあるらん

    あもりますかみのみかげはくなたぶれえみしらはらうひれにやあるらん

  • 856
  • Notes
  • This is a variant of Poem 741.

    うるはしき

    をとことなりて

    こんよには

    君につかふる

    みとうまれてん

    Uruwashiki

    otoko to nari te

    ko n yo ni wa

    kimi ni tsukauru

    mi to uma re ten.

    うるはしきをとことなりてこんよにはきみにつかふるみとうまれてん

    うるわしきおとことなりてこんよにはきみにつかうるみとうまれてん

  • 857
  • NotesThe prologue reads: “I have gotten very old, and...” The poem refers to one Japanese method of counting in which folding then opening all the fingers on one hand one can count to ten.
  • When I count my age

    folding my fingers

    over and over

    it comes to more

    than eight sets of ten.

    くりかへし

    およびかがなべ

    かぞふれば

    十といひつつ

    やつにあまれり

    Kuri kaeshi

    oyobi kaganabe

    kazoure ba

    too to ii tsutsu

    yatsu ni amare ri.

    くりかへしおよひかかなへかそふれはとをといひつつやつにあまれり

    くりかえしおよびかがなべかぞうればとおといいつつやつにあまれり

  • 858
  • NotesThe prologue reads: “In offering to the soul of a departed person...”
  • Faint

    like the mist separating us

    from the past year—

    even such goose-borne news

    I long to hear.

    一とせを

    へだつる霧の

    ほのかにも

    かりのたよりの

    きかまほしきを

    Hitotose wo

    hedatsuru kiri no

    honokani mo

    kari no tayori no

    kika mahoshiki wo.

    ひととせをへたつるきりのほのかにもかりのたよりのきかまほしきを

    ひととせをへだつるきりのほのかにもかりのたよりのきかまほしきを

  • 859
  • NotesMurakami Sodou, compiler of the Complete Poems of Otagaki Rengetsu (1927) noted: “This poem must have been made using the [brand] name of a certain sake.” There are two phrases in the original Japanese which would be fitting as the brand name of a sake: “yomo no umi” (the seas of four directions) and “harugasumi” (spring mist), of which the former seems more likely.
  • The seas of four directions

    calm beneath the spring mist...

    scooping this sake

    you shall live for generations—

    a celebration of this imperial reign.

    四方の海

    なぎわたりたる

    春霞

    くみてよよへん

    みよのことほぎ

    Yomo no umi

    nagi watari taru

    harugasumi

    kumi te yoyo he n

    miyo no kotohogi.

    よものうみなきわたりたるはるかすみくみてよよへんみよのことほき

    よものうみなぎわたりたるはるがすみくみてよよへんみよのことほぎ

  • 860
  • NotesAs in the previous poem, Murakami Sodou, compiler of the Complete Poems of Otagaki Rengetsu (1927) noted: "This poem must have been made using the [brand] name of a certain sake.
  • Voice upon voice singing...

    “An imperial reign

    of a thousand years!”

    Among the pines—

    happy happy flocking cranes.

    こゑごゑに

    みよを千歳と

    うたふなり

    めでためでたの

    松のむら鶴

    Koegoe ni

    miyo wo chitose to

    utau nari

    medeta medeta no

    matsu no murazuru.

    こゑこゑにみよをちとせとうたふなりめてためてたのまつのむらつる

    こえごえにみよをちとせとうたうなりめでためでたのまつのむらづる

  • 861
  • NotesThe prologue reads: “Regarding the emperor's good government...”
  • O, the spirit of these

    sacred isles of Japan

    running

    from sky to earth

    shining throughout...

    敷島の

    やまとごころは

    あめつちに

    つらぬきてこそ

    てりわたりけめ

    Shikishima no

    yamatogokoro wa

    ametsuchi ni

    tsuranuki te koso

    teri watari keme.

    しきしまのやまとこころはあめつちにつらぬきてこそてりわたりけめ

    しきしまのやまとごころはあめつちにつらぬきてこそてりわたりけめ

  • 862
  • NotesThis poem is from Rengetsu's manuscript “The Foxes of the Graveyard” (Furuzuka no Kitsune), later transcribed and published in a journal called “Yokohama Shodai Ronshuu” (1968). She composed this poem after she saw what first seemed to be people, but were actually foxes who had taken human form as a prank.
  • Cloth of patterned silk...

    I did not grasp the mystery...

    in the white snow

    hunters appeared for a moment

    in the evening moonlight.

    くれはどり

    あやしきものと

    しら雪の

    かりに見えたる

    夕月のかげ

    Kurehadori

    ayashiki mono to

    shirayuki no

    kari ni mie taru

    yuuzuki no kage.

    くれはとりあやしきものとしらゆきのかりにみえたるゆふつきのかけ

    くれはどりあやしきものとしらゆきのかりにみえたるゆうづきのかげ

  • 863
  • Notes
  • On the upper reaches

    thin ice seems

    to have faintly formed—

    this morning

    water trickling from a bamboo pipe.

    水上に

    ややうすらひや

    むすぶらん

    今朝はかけひの

    ほそながれする

    Minakami ni

    yaya usurai ya

    musubu ran

    kesa wa kakei no

    hosonagare suru.

    みなかみにややうすらひやむすふらんけさはかけひのほそなかれする

    みなかみにややうすらいやむすぶらんけさはかけいのほそながれする

  • 864
  • Notes
  • By all means

    upon the lotus in my heart

    shall I behold the moon...

    as for Buddha who never abandons me

    I chant his name.

    いかで我

    むねの蓮の

    月もみん

    すてぬほとけの

    みなとなへつつ

    Ikade wa ga

    mune no hachisu no

    tsuki mo mi n

    sute nu hotoke no

    mina tonae tsutsu.

    いかてわかむねのはちすのつきもみんすてぬほとけのみなとなへつつ

    いかでわがむねのはちすのつきもみんすてぬほとけのみなとなえつつ

  • 865
  • Notes
  • When piling up...

    hemp clothing

    is not cold

    while rice on a dish

    is warm.

    かさぬれば

    あさの衣も

    寒からず

    けにもるものも

    あたたかにして

    Kasanure ba

    asa no koromo mo

    samukara zu

    ke ni moru mono mo

    atatakani shi te.

    かさぬれはあさのころももさむからすけにもるものもあたたかにして

    かさぬればあさのころももさむからずけにもるものもあたたかにして

  • 866
  • NotesThe prologue reads: “At a Sunken Hearth.” Sunken hearths (irori / 囲炉裏) were a principal architectural feature of Edo Period houses. Often situated at or near the center of the main room of a home, it provided families with warmth and a place to cook, eat and gather. This poem is from Rengetsu's manuscript “The Foxes of the Graveyard” (Furuzuka no Kitsune), later transcribed and published in a journal called “Yokohama Shodai Ronshuu” (1968)
  • Not even a friend

    to speak with

    staying in this winter hut

    burying my thoughts

    along with the fire in a sunken hearth.

    かたりあふ

    友もなければ

    冬ごもり

    おもふことさへ

    うづみ火のもと

    Katari au

    tomo mo nakere ba

    fuyugomori

    omou koto sae

    uzumibi no moto.

    かたりあふとももなけれはふゆこもりおもふことさへうつみひのもと

    かたりあうとももなければふゆごもりおもうことさえうずみびのもと

  • 867
  • NotesThe prologue reads: “One day, a person from Kyoto visited me and said, ”It is very cold. How can you live in like this? I am anxious.“ I replied [with this poem]...” This poem is from Rengetsu's manuscript “The Foxes of the Graveyard” (Furuzuka no Kitsune), later transcribed and published in a journal called “Yokohama Shodai Ronshuu” (1968).
  • In a mountain village

    breaking off brushwood

    for the fire I sometimes kindle...

    the smoke a sign

    I have not yet disappeared.

    山ざとの

    しばをりをりに

    たく火こそ

    きえぬしるしの

    けぶり也けり

    Yamazato no

    shiba oriori ni

    taku hi koso

    kie nu shirushi no

    keburi nari keri.

    やまさとのしはをりをりにたくひこそきえぬしるしのけふりなりけり

    やまざとのしばおりおりにたくひこそきえぬしるしのけぶりなりけり

  • 868
  • Notes
  • This is a variant of Poem 772.

    ちりばかり

    心にかかる

    雲もなし

    けふを限りの

    入相のそら

    Chiri bakari

    kokoro ni kakaru

    kumo mo nashi

    kyou wo kagiri no

    iriai no sora.

    ちりはかりこころにかかるくももなしけふをかきりのいりあひのそら

    ちりばかりこころにかかるくももなしきょうをかぎりのいりあいのそら

  • 869
  • Notes
  • If this old roof tile

    has a heart

    how I would enjoy

    hearing the ancient stories

    of Izumoji Shrine.

    古がはら

    心しあらば

    いづもぢの

    むかしがたりの

    きかまほしきを

    Furugawara

    kokoro shi ara ba

    Izumoji no

    mukashigatari no

    kika mahoshiki wo.

    ふるかはらこころしあらはいつもちのむかしかたりのきかまほしきを

    ふるがわらこころしあらばいずもじのむかしがたりのきかまほしきを

  • 870
  • Notes
  • This is a variant of poem 542.

    うらぼにの

    月にうかれて

    をみなへし

    尾花まじりに

    をどるよはかな

    Uraboni no

    tsuki ni ukare te

    ominaeshi

    obana majiri ni

    odoru yowa kana.

    うらほにのつきにうかれてをみなへしをはなましりにをとるよはかな

    うらぼにのつきにうかれておみなえしおばなまじりにおどるよわかな


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