Kokinshu: Poems about Autumn (Japanese Poetry)

 

Kokinshu: Poems about Autumn

[Wild goose in reeds by Ito Jakuchu]

Topic Unknown / Poet unknown (KKS 210)

the wild geese
that left us, veiled
by the springtime haze,
now we hear them calling again
above the mists of autumn

harugasumi | kasumite inishi | karigane wa | ima zo naku naru | akigiru no ue ni

春霞かすみていにし雁が音は今ぞ鳴くなる秋霧の上に

In spring the wild geese leave Japan to spend the sumer in the north, and are called "kigan" 帰雁, "returning geese"; in autumn they come again to Japan and are called "raigan" 来雁. "Karigane" originally meant "the call of wild geese," but later came to mean just "wild geese." Note also the interesting fact that two different words are used for the mist in spring and the mist in autumn: the one in spring is called "kasumi" 霞, the one in autumn "kiri" 霧. Because of the mist the poet doesn't see the wild geese, but he is alerted to their presence by their call. It is interesting how this autumn poem combines autumn with a scene from spring!

[Belling deer stag]

Mibu no Tadamine (KKS 214)

"From the poetry contest held at the residence of Prince Koresada."

in a mountain village
autumn is the loneliest season -
all through the night
the belling of the stags
keeps rousing me from my sleep

yamazato wa | aki koso koto ni | wabishikere | shika no naku ne ni | me wo samashitsutsu

 ただみね - これさだのみこの家の哥合のうた

山里は秋こそことにわびしけれ鹿の鳴く音に目を覚ましつつ

The belling of the deer for their mates reminds the poet of his own longings, and of the sorrows of autumn, the season of death and partings.

Hyakunin Isshu Poem 5 by Semimaru treats the same subject.

[Cricket shrilling on a spider lily, a typical autumn flower]

Anonymous / Topic unknown (KKS 186)

it isn't for my sake alone
that autumn comes -
yet when I hear
the shrilling insect voices,
I am the first to be saddened

waga tame ni | kuru aki no shi mo | aranaku ni | mushi no ne kikeba | mazu zo kanashiki

わがためにくる秋にしもあらなくに虫の音聞けばまづぞ悲しき

During the hot summer, the cicadas create a veritable din in  Japan, but autumn has its own insects, such as the evening cicada or higurashi, or the bell crickets or suzumushi in autumn. There is a beautiful scene in The Genji Monogatari, in which Genji releases bell crickets in the garden of the Third Princess on the night of the full harvest moon. contemporary city dwellers don't hear insects anymore, on the one hand because trees have become scarce, but also because everybody closes the windows on behalf of the air conditioning. The ancient Japanese, however, paid close intention to the singing of insects and knew exactly what time of the year it was by listening to the songs of insects. Many traditional poets have composed poems about them.

[Chrysanthemums]

Ki no Tomonori (KKS 270)

A poem from the contest at Prince Koresada's residence.

to wear in my hair
I plucked chysanthemums
with dew still clinging -
may the autumn season of longevity
last for a long long time!

tsuyu nagara | orite kasazamu | kiku no hana | oi senu aki no | hisashikarubeku

 きのとものり - これさだのみこの家の哥合のうた

露ながら折りてかざさむ菊の花老いせぬ秋のひさしかるべく

Chrysanthemums first arrived in Japan by way of China in the 5th century. In China, the poet Tao Yuanming had already in the 4th c. written a famous poem about chrysanthemums, which he used in a wine infusion as a sort of long life elixer - chrysanthemums were considered as providing long life.
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The chrysanthemum has been used as a theme of waka poetry since around the 10th century, most famously in the Kokinshu. It was considered as the aristocrat of flowers, as it  possessed a strong but refined fragrance, and it became a flower that symbolized autumn in Japan. During the Edo period, the cultivation of chrysanthemums became popular; many cultivars were created and many chrysanthemum exhibitions were held - and that still continues today.

The Chrysanthemum festival, held on the ninth day of the Ninth Month, was the occasion for various activities and events promising longevity. See Basho's haiku about Nara's 9/9 festival in the Haiku Travels section of this blog.

Sosei (KKS 309)

Composed on a mushroom-hunting expedition to the northern hills with Archbishop Henjo

I would like to stuff
the colored leaves in my sleeves
and carry them back home
for those who think
autumn is at an end

momijiba wa | sode ni kokiirete | moteidenamu | aki wa kagiri to | mimu hito no tame

 そせい法し - 北山に僧正へんぜうとたけがりにまかれりけるによ める

もみぢ葉は袖にこきいれてもていでなむ秋は限りと見む人のため

Kitayama refers to the hills north of the capital. Bishop Henjo was the father of Sosei. Colored leaves are of course the symbol par excellence of autumn in Japanese poetry.

While in the capital of Heiankyo the colored leaves have already fallen, so that people may think the season of autumn is at an end, in the hills to the north of the city, where temperatures are lower, the poet still comes across plenty of colored maple leaves. He breaks them off and stuffs them in his sleeves as proof for the city dwellers that it is still autumn. But all the same this poem foretells the end of autumn, and is therefore one of the last poems in the autumn section of the Kokinshu.

Translations:
The Ise Stories, by Joshua S. Mostow and Royall Tyler (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010);
Kokinshu, A Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern by Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius (University of Tokyo Press, 1984);
Kokin Wakashu, The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry, by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford University Press, 1985);
One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, by Peter MacMIllan (Penguin Classics);
Traditional Japanese Literature, an Anthology, Beginnings to 1600, ed. Haruo Shirane (Columbia U.P., 2007)
Traditional Japanese Poetry, An Anthology, by Steven D. Carter (Stanford University Press, 1991);
A Waka Anthology, by Edward A. Cranston (2 vols, Stanford U.P. 1993 and 2006);

Studies:
Brocade by Night: Kokin Wakashu and the Court Style in Japanese Classical Poetry, by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanfors U.P., 1985)
History of Japanese Literature by Jun'ichi Konishi (3 vols, Princeton U.P., 1991)
Japan and the Culture of the Four Seasons, by Haruo Shirane (Columbia U.P., 2012)
Japanese Court Poetry, by Robert H Brower and Earl Miner (London 1962)
The Making of Shinkokinshu, by Robert N. Huey (Harvard U.P., 2002)
Pictures of the Heart, The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua S. Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996);
Seeds in the Heart, Japanese Literature from the Earliest Times to the late Sixteenth Century, by Donald Keene (Columbia U.P. 1999)
Utakotoba Utamakura Daijiten, Kubota Jun and Baba Akiko (Kadokawa Shoten)
Utamakura, Allusion, and Intertextuality in Traditional Japanese Poetry, by Edward Kamens (Yale U.P., 1997)
Waka as Things, Waka and Things, by Edward Kamens (Yale U.P., 2017)
Waka bungaku jiten, by Ariyoshi Tamotsu (Ofusha)

Original texts:
Kokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1994);
Shinkokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1995);
Man'yoshu (4 vols, Shogakkan, 1996)

Online:
Japanese Text Initiative (Virginia University Library)
One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each (Hyakunin Isshu), translation and comments at this website

Photos from Wikipedia, except the last photo of autumn at Kiyomizudera, which is own work

Japanese Poetry Index

Shin Kokinshu, Early Summer Flowers (Japanese Poetry)

Shin Kokinshu, Early Summer Flowers

Translation and comments by Ad Blankestijn

[Deutzia flowers]

Composed on the topic of "deutzia flowers resembling the moon." (SKKS 180)

[詞書]卯花如月といへる心をよませ給ける

deutzia flowers
are blooming exuberantly
in places along my brushwood fence -
they are like moonlight
shining through breaks in the clouds

Cloistered Emperor Shirakawa (1053-1129)
白河院御哥

卯の花のむら〳〵咲ける垣根をは雲間の月の影かとそ見る

unohana no | muramura sakeru | kakine wo wa | kumoma no tsuki no | kage ka to zo miru

Comment: The fourth month in the lunisolar calendar bears the poetic name U-zuki, because it is the month (tsuki or zuki) that the U no hana or deutzia shrubs are in bloom. Deutzia grow in shrubs ranging from 1–4 m in height. Most are deciduous, and the flowers are white in most species, sometimes pink or reddish. Deutzia is named after the 18th century Dutch patron of botany, Johan van der Deutz.

Shirakawa was the first emperor to ostensibly retire to a monastery, but in fact continue to exert considerable influence over his successor. This process would become known as cloistered rule. This is a simple and straightforward poem.

Topic unknown (SKKS 181)

[詞書]題しらす

when the deutzia flowers
are in full bloom
it is just as if
white waves embrace
my brushwood fence

Fujiwara no Shige’ie (1128-1180)
藤原重家

卯の花の咲きぬる時は白妙の波もて結える垣根とそ見る

unohana no | sakinuru toki wa | shirotae no | nami moteyueru | kakine to zo miru

Comment: This poem is an "associative variation" on Kokinshu 911: "Awaji Island, | encircled by a garland | of fair white breakers | such as the sea god uses | when he decorates his head!" (Helen Craig McCullough)

Fujiwara Shige'ie was a court noble and poet of the late Heian period. He served as provincial governor of Suo and Chikuzen provinces, and Senior Assistant Governor General of Dazaifu. In 1176, he retired after being ordained. He was highly renowned for his talent in waka poetry, Sinitic poetry, and music. He participated in numerous waka poetry contests. 29 poems were included in imperial waka anthologies. 

Composed by the Kamo Vestal serving at the Saiin (SKKS 182)

[詞書]斎院に侍ける時神たちにて

could I ever forget it?
when I plucked and twined
hollyhocks for my pillow
and slept in the fields:
the bracing, dewy break of day!

Princess Shikishi
式子内親王

忘れめや葵を草にひき結び仮寝の野べの露のあけほの

wasureme ya | aoi wo kusa ni | hikimusubi | karine no nobe no | tsuyu no akebono

Comment: In the past, the Kamo shrines (Shimogamo and Kamigamo) were only second in importance after the Ise Shrines and shared the same rituals and ceremonies, such as imperial visits (goko), the presence of a Vestal Princess as high priestess (Saio) and the regular transfer to a new shrine building once in a prescribed number of years (shikinen-zoei).

The Aoi or Hollyhock Matsuri is the most important annual festival of the two Kamo shrines (it still exists as a beautiful panorama of courtly times), and was the most important “happening” in Heiankyo during the Heian period. It plays a large role in the Tale of Genji. 

The hollyhock or heart-vine is a plant which grows on the forest floor and consists of a pair of broad, heart-shaped leaves that spring from a single stem. The aoi plant is sacred to the Kamo shrines and at the Kamo festival people used to decorate their headdresses and carriages with it. During the Heian Period, these leaves were believed to protect against natural disasters such as earthquakes and thunder, and were often hung under the roofs of homes for protection.

The Kamo Vestal system dates from the early Heian period and continued until the early Kamakura period. Among the Kamo Vestals were great poets like Princess Senshi and Princess Shikishi. The Vestal was a princess chosen by divination at the beginning of each reign. Her role was modeled on that of the Ise Vestal, who was considered the Chief Priestess of the Ise shrines and lived there. The Kamo Vestal, who was first appointed in the reign of Emperor Saga (Princess Uchiko), lived at a special palace called Murasakino-in on the northwest outskirts of the capital. Here role seems to have been simply to maintain ritual purity and to represent the emperor at the Kamo Festival in the 4th month and at the Kamo Extra Festival in the 11th month. The tradition continued until 1212 and there were in total 35 Kamo Vestals.

Shikishi is also the author of Poem 89 in the Hyakunin Isshu.

In the above poem, she describes how she makes a "kusamakura" (a grass pillow, a pillow made from grass by the roadside when on a journey) from hollyhocks to sleep outside on a beautiful summer night - and how beautiful the dawn is when she awakes, with the dew in the sky.

[Hollyhock with double leaves]

On hollyhocks (SKKS 183)

[詞書]あふひをよめる

why is it that
of old on divine Kamo hill
the hollyhocks
although the years do pass
always keep double leaves?

Kojiju  (1121–1202)
小侍従

いかなればそのかみ山の葵草年はふれども二葉なるらん

ika nareba | sono kamiyama no | aoigusa | toshi wa furedomo | futaba naruran

Comment: The hollyhock has a pair of broad, heart-shaped leaves that spring from a single stem, reason why it is also called "futaba aoi", "two-leaf hollyhock." Such double leaves remind one of young seedlings and that is the meaning the poet plays with. Kamiya, "God Mountain," is the name of the sacred hill at the back of the Kamigamo Shrine.  "Kami" is not only part of the name of the mountain, but also a pun on "of old."

Kojiju was a waka poet and Japanese noblewoman active in the late Heian period. She left a private collection, the Kojijushu. In 1179, she became a Buddhist nun.

For a picture of Asaka Marsh, drawn on a screen in the Saisho Shitenno-in temple (SKKS 184)

[詞書]最勝四天王院の障子にあさかのぬまかきたる所

the fields are still shallow,
but the irises one cuts
in the Asaka Marsh,
in just the twinkle of an eye,

grow thick and luxuriant

Fujiwara no Masatsune (1170 – 1221)
藤原雅経

野べはいまだ浅香の沼に刈る草のかつ見るまゝに茂るころかな

nobe wa imada | Asaka no numa ni | karu kusa no | katsu miru mama ni | shigeru koro ka na

Comment: An associative variation on Kokinshu 677: "I will always love | someone I have scarcely met - | someone fair to see | as an Asaka marsh iris | blooming in Michinoku." (Helen Craig McCullough)

Asaka Marsh is an utamakura located in Adatara in Fukushima prefecture. "Asaka" is a pun on "asai", meaning that because the summer has just started, the grasses growing here are still shallow. ”Katsumi" is both かつ見, "ちょっと見ているうちに," and 花がつみ, the name of a plant (the precise type is unknown, it may have been a type of iris). Remember that Basho, when he traveled through Fukushima, also was looking for that flower, but even the locals could not help him.

Saisho Shitenno-in was a temple located near the Shirakawa Bridge on Sanjo Street in Kyoto. It was built in 1207 (also the year the present poem was written) by the Cloistered Emperor Go-Toba, but destroyed by fire in 1222. It was known for the depiction of utamakura from various parts of the country on the partitioning screens.

Fujiwara no Masatsune is also the author of Poem 94 in the Hyakunin Isshu. Also called Asukai Masatsune, he studied waka under Fujiwara no Shunzei and from 1201 served in the Poetry Bureau (Wakadokoro). He acted as one of the compilers of the Shin Kokinshu, along with Shunzei's son Teika. He was also an accomplished kemari player. Twenty-two of his poems were included in the Shin Kokinshu, and a total of 134 in the imperial anthologies.


Photos Public Domain from Wikipedia.

Japanese Poetry Index

 

Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each): Poem 93 (Minamoto no Sanetomo)

  Hyakunin Isshu, Poem 93

Translation and comments by Ad Blankestijn
(version September 2022)


if only this world
could always remain the same!
how moving the sight
of small fisher boats
being pulled on to shore

yo no naka wa
tsune ni mo ga mo na
nagisa kogu
ama no obune no
tsuna de kanashi mo

世の中は
つねにもがもな
なぎさこぐ
あまの小舟の
綱手かなしも

Minamoto no Sanetomo 源実朝 (1192-1219)

[Painting of Minamoto no Sanetomo by Yashima Gakutei, 1825]

A simple poem about small fisher boats at the coast of Kamakura. Another poem about which Japanese commentators like to play the "honkadori" game (guessing which poems are lying at the basis of the present one), but it is perfect on its own.

Notes

- tsune ni mogamo na: an archaic expression that also appears in the Manyoshu. "gamo" expresses a wish, "mogamo na" means "how I wish it were like this."
- nagisa kogu: paddling in the surf
- tsuna de: the ropes to tow the boats with
- kanashi: not "sad" here, but rather 愛し: lovely, adorable

The Poet

Minamoto no Sanetomo (1192-1219) was the third shogun of the Kamakura shogunate. He was the second son of the Kamakura shogunate founder, Minamoto no Yoritomo. His mother was Hojo Masako and his older brother was second Kamakura shogun Minamoto no Yoriie. He was an accomplished waka poet, writing over 700 poems between the age 17 and 22 while he was tutored by Fujiwara no Teika. He published his private waka collection Kinkai Wakashu and has 93 poems in imperial anthologies. With Saigyo, he was considered as one of the greatest poets of his day. Sanetomo had a tragic destiny and was assassinated by his nephew under heavy snow in February 1219 at the Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine in Kamakura. His nephew, Kugyo, came out from beside the stone stairway of the shrine. For his act, he was himself beheaded only a few hours later, thus bringing the Seiwa Genji line of the Minamoto clan and their rule in Kamakura to a sudden end. What followed was the rule of the Hojo regents.

[The fatal staircase leading to the Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine. The large ginkgo tree to the left, where according to some reports the murderer lay in waiting, has since been uprooted by a storm.]

Visiting

(1) Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine, Kamakura (location of the assassination of Sanetomo). After defeating the rival Taira clan in 1180, Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147-1199), the founder of the Kamakura Shogunate, became the military ruler of Japan and set up his headquarters in Kamakura, making it the de facto capital of the nation. The first thing he did after his victory was to build a grand shrine to Hachiman, the tutelary deity of the Minamoto clan, and revere it as the God of War, to demonstrate his supremacy as a new dictator. Before the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the shrine was a large complex of religious structures that mixed elements of Shinto and Buddhism under the concept that Shinto deities were manifestations of Buddhism divinities. In other words, it was a syncretic mixture of Shinto and (Shingon) Buddhism, and therefore the Shrine was called “Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine Temple.” In its golden days, it had as many as 33 structures including those for Buddhists. If anything, Buddhists had more power than Shintoists, as the Shrine was for most part managed by Buddhist priests. The new government after the Meiji Restoration, however, purged Shinto of Buddhist elements in order to turn it into a “purely Japanese” state religion. As a result, many of the valuable structures and statues associated with Buddhism were destroyed, something which happened in many similar locations all over Japan. In fact, the history of the original religion of the Japanese was destroyed in this way. Fortunately, most Japanese still consider themselves as both Buddhists and Shintoists, so the old attitude has in a certain way survived.

The Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine stands in a beautiful location in the center of Kamakura and is very much worth a visit - don't forget to shed a tear at the spot where the great poet Sanetomo was assassinated at the age of only only 26. For information about access and the shrine's festivals, see the website of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu.

[Main gate of Jufukuji temple]

(2) Jufukuji Temple, Kamakura (the grave of Sanetomo). Little-known Jufukuji is the oldest Zen temple in Kamakura. It was founded by Hojo Masako (1157–1225), the wife of Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147–1199), the founder of the Kamakura shogunate. She was an important historical figure in her own right. In 1200, she invited the Buddhist priest Eisai to Kamakura to found the temple - Eisai is important in the history of Zen because it was he who, after being ordained in China, introduced it to Japan. Although very small now, in its heyday the temple used to have as many as 14 subtemples. Its Main Hall, which constitutes the bulk of its compound now, is closed to the public and can be seen only from the inner gate. In the temple's vast graveyard behind the main hall, inside caves called yagura, are buried all the chief priests of the temple. Two yagura are dedicated to Hojo Masako and her son Minamoto no Sanetomo. Among other graves here can be found not only those of Japanese celebrities including haiku poet Takahama Kiyoshi and novelist Osaragi Jiro, but also those of some foreigners, among them Countess Iso Mutsu (1867–1930) who wrote an interesting book about Kamakura. The graveyard is accessible to visitors. For access information, see the Visit Kamakura website.

References: Pictures of the Heart, The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua S. Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996); One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, by Peter MacMIllan (Penguin Classics); Traditional Japanese Poetry, An Anthology, by Steven D. Carter (Stanford University Press, 1991); Hyakunin Isshu by Inoue Muneo, etc. (Shinchosha, 1990); Genshoku Hyakunin Isshu by Suzuki Hideo, etc. (Buneido, 1997); Chishiki Zero kara no Hyakunin Isshu, by Ariyoshi Tamotsu (Gentosha); Hyakunin Isshu Kaibo Zukan, by Tani Tomoko (X-Knowledge);  Ogura Hyakunin Isshu at Japanese Text Initiative (University of Virginia Library Etext Center); Hyakunin Isshu wo aruku by Shimaoka Shin (Kofusha Shuppan); Hyakunin Isshu, Ocho waka kara chusei waka e by Inoue Muneo (Chikuma Shoin, 2004); Basho's Haiku (2 vols) by Toshiharu Oseko (Maruzen, 1990); The Ise Stories by Joshua S. Mostow and Royall Tyler (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010); Kokin Wakashu, The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford University Press, 1985); Kokinshu, A Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern by Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius (University of Tokyo Press, 1984); Kokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1994); Shinkokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1995); Taketori Monogatari-Ise Monogatari-Yamato Monogatari-Heichu Monogatari (Shogakkan, 1994).

    Photo: Wikipedia

    Hyakunin Isshu Index

 

Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each): Poem 92 (Lady Sanuki)

   Hyakunin Isshu, Poem 92

Translation and comments by Ad Blankestijn
(version September 2022)


my sleeves are like
rocks out at sea
even at ebb-tide hidden from view
unknown to anyone
and never for a moment dry

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

わが袖は
潮干に見えぬ
沖の石の
人こそしらね
かはくまもなし


Lady Sanuki 二条院讃岐 (ca. 1141-1217)

A very straightforward poem and an interesting play with conventions - sleeves were wet because of the tears shed on behalf of a fickle lover. Like underwater rocks, far from the shore, here the sleeves are always wet and at the same time hidden from view.

Notes

- shiyohi: ebb tide
- oki: offing, out at sea
- hito koso shirane: this can point in general at "people" (as I have translated it), but at the same time it points at the specific person of the lover

The Poet

Lady Sanuki was the daughter of Minamoto no Yorimasa, a prominent warrior who plays a major role in The Tale of the Heike. She served Ninshi, the consort of Emperor Go-Toba. 73 of her poems were selected for the Senzaishu and other imperial anthologies. She has her own collection of poems.

Visiting

Oki no Ishi, Tagajo, Miyagi Prefecture. Taga Castle was a fortification built in the late Nara period at the time that the Yamato court sent a number of military expeditions to what is now the Tohoku region of northern Japan to bring the local Emishi tribes under its control. The Tagajo Stele (Tsubo no Ishibumi) is a stone stele with a Nara period inscription that gives distances to the capital at Nara, the province of the Emishi, and other regions. Basho visited it on his Oku no Hosomichi journey and was moved to tears by the memorial. What is interesting for us is that nearby also the Oki no Ishi (“Rock in the Offing”) can be found which is referred to in our poem. It is a curious pile of overlapping rocks standing in a pond. It looks very much like a fake utamakura that was manufactured long after the date! Nearby is another utamakura, Sue no Matsuyama, which is a scenic spot located on a small hill – “Sue no Maysuyama” is mentioned in Hyakunin Isshu Poem 42. You can find a picture of Oki no Ishi at Google Maps.

References: Pictures of the Heart, The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua S. Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996); One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, by Peter MacMIllan (Penguin Classics); Traditional Japanese Poetry, An Anthology, by Steven D. Carter (Stanford University Press, 1991); Hyakunin Isshu by Inoue Muneo, etc. (Shinchosha, 1990); Genshoku Hyakunin Isshu by Suzuki Hideo, etc. (Buneido, 1997); Chishiki Zero kara no Hyakunin Isshu, by Ariyoshi Tamotsu (Gentosha); Hyakunin Isshu Kaibo Zukan, by Tani Tomoko (X-Knowledge);  Ogura Hyakunin Isshu at Japanese Text Initiative (University of Virginia Library Etext Center); Hyakunin Isshu wo aruku by Shimaoka Shin (Kofusha Shuppan); Hyakunin Isshu, Ocho waka kara chusei waka e by Inoue Muneo (Chikuma Shoin, 2004); Basho's Haiku (2 vols) by Toshiharu Oseko (Maruzen, 1990); The Ise Stories by Joshua S. Mostow and Royall Tyler (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010); Kokin Wakashu, The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford University Press, 1985); Kokinshu, A Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern by Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius (University of Tokyo Press, 1984); Kokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1994); Shinkokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1995); Taketori Monogatari-Ise Monogatari-Yamato Monogatari-Heichu Monogatari (Shogakkan, 1994).

    Illustration: Wikipedia

    Hyakunin Isshu Index

 

Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each): Poem 91 (Fujiwara no Yoshitsune)

       Hyakunin Isshu, Poem 91

Translation and comments by Ad Blankestijn
(version September 2022)


when the crickets
cry in the frosty night,
do I have to sleep alone
on the cold reed-mat
spreading out my robe just for one?

kirigirisu
naku ya shimo yo no
samushiro ni
koromo katashiki
hitori kamo nen

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

Fujiwara no Yoshitsune 九条良経 (1169-1206)

[Cricket]

Both a love poem and a poem about the sadness and loneliness of autumn. Has been artfully pieced together from allusions to / quotes from older poetry, which means that Japanese commentators like to play the "honkadori" game (guessing which poems are lying at the basis of the present one). It was composed in 1200 for a poem sequence commissioned by Emperor Go-Toba.

Notes

- kirigirisu: cricket, grasshopper, an insect typical of autumn.
- naku ya shimo-yo no: ya is an intensifier; shimo-yo is a "night during which frost falls."
- samushiro: kakekotoba. ”Mushiro" is a "woven mat made of straw." This puns with "samushi," "cold."
- koromo katashiki: in the Heian period, people slept under their robes (koromo). When lovers slept together, they would spread out their robes together. "Katashiki" means that the robe is spread out just for one person, in other words, the poet has to sleep alone.
- hitori kamo nemu: "hitori de neru no de aro ka na." "-mu" indicates an assumption.

The Poet

Fujiwara no Yoshitsune (1169-1206), also known as Kujo Yoshitsune, was the son of regent Kujo Kanezane; his grandfather was Jien (poem 95). He is also known by his title "The Go-Kyogoku Regent and Former Chancellor." He held the regent position from 1202 to 1206. Kujo Michiie was his son. He was a member of the Mikohidari poetic family and served as editor of the Shinkokinshu and author of the anthology's Japanese preface. Although he died young, he has 319 poems in the Senzaishu and later imperial anthologies; his personal collection is also extant.

References: Pictures of the Heart, The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua S. Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996); One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, by Peter MacMIllan (Penguin Classics); Traditional Japanese Poetry, An Anthology, by Steven D. Carter (Stanford University Press, 1991); Hyakunin Isshu by Inoue Muneo, etc. (Shinchosha, 1990); Genshoku Hyakunin Isshu by Suzuki Hideo, etc. (Buneido, 1997); Chishiki Zero kara no Hyakunin Isshu, by Ariyoshi Tamotsu (Gentosha); Hyakunin Isshu Kaibo Zukan, by Tani Tomoko (X-Knowledge);  Ogura Hyakunin Isshu at Japanese Text Initiative (University of Virginia Library Etext Center); Hyakunin Isshu wo aruku by Shimaoka Shin (Kofusha Shuppan); Hyakunin Isshu, Ocho waka kara chusei waka e by Inoue Muneo (Chikuma Shoin, 2004); Basho's Haiku (2 vols) by Toshiharu Oseko (Maruzen, 1990); The Ise Stories by Joshua S. Mostow and Royall Tyler (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010); Kokin Wakashu, The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford University Press, 1985); Kokinshu, A Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern by Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius (University of Tokyo Press, 1984); Kokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1994); Shinkokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1995); Taketori Monogatari-Ise Monogatari-Yamato Monogatari-Heichu Monogatari (Shogakkan, 1994).

    Photo and illustration: Wikipedia

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Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each): Poem 90 (Inpumon'in no Taiyu)

         Hyakunin Isshu, Poem 90

Translation and comments by Ad Blankestijn
(version September 2022)


let me show it!
the sleeves of the fishermen
of Ojima
though wetter than wet
do not change color like mine

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

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

Inpumon'in no Taiyu 殷富門院大輔 (ca. 1131-1200)

This poem was composed on the topic of "love" at a waka contest. It is an allusive variation (honkadori) and at the same time a rebuttal of a poem by Minamoto no Shigeyuki, which was not included in the Hyakunin Isshu (another poem by him was included, poem 48). Shigeyuki's poem runs as follows:

Matsushima!
only the fishermen
fishing on the shore of Ojima
can have sleeves
as soaked as mine

Matsushima ya | Ojima no iso ni | asari seshi | ama no sode koso | kaku wa nureshika

Matsushima has often been used as a pillow word in waka poetry since the Heian period (794-1185). Minamoto Shigeyuki's poem was probably the first poem written about Matsushima. It is believed he really visited Mutsu Province (the eastern part of the present-day Tohoku Region, including Matsushima), so he may have composed this poem after actually seeing the scenery of Matsushima (generally speaking poets didn't travel a lot outside the capital of Heiankyo and place names were often conceptual, or based on screen paintings).

Notes

- misebaya na: misetai mono desu, "let me show these" - "these" points at the poet's sleeves that have changed color because of her many tears.
- Ojima: "Male Island," one of the larger islands in Matsushima (see below).
- ama no sode dani mo: the sleeves of the fishermen who work at sea and therefore get wet sleeves.

The Poet

Inpumon'in no Taiyu (ca. 1131-1200) was a daughter of Fujiwara no Nobunari and served Princess Ryoshi, the daughter of Emperor Go-Shirakawa, who was called "Inpumon'in". She was a member of the poetic circle of Shun'e (poem 85) and participated in many waka contests. She has 63 poems in the Senzaishu and other imperial collections; a personal collection is also extant.

[Ojima Island]

Visiting

Matsushima, close to the northern city of Sendai, is one of Japan's Three Famous Views. Matsushima means "Pine Islands," and refers to the hundreds of small islands that lie before the coast. The working of wind and waves has kneaded them into strange shapes, on which viewers can freely exercise their imagination. On all islands pine trees cling to the scarce soil in grotesque poses. Unfortunately, mass tourism and commercialism have spoiled the bay. The large temple compound of Zuiganji is the only quiet place in Matsushima - as well as nearby Ojima Island.

Crossing a vermilion-lacquered bridge, one comes to Oshima Island, where 108 rock caves are said to have existed. Although only about 50 remain today, there are many stone monuments that were once stone pagodas for the dead to pray for their rebirth in the Pure Land, as well as other stone pagodas in the rock caves. Many Buddhist names have been carved in the walls, giving the island the sense of a sacred place. A cave is all that is necessary for Zen, and as a bonus nature provides the view of the island-dotted bay, of rocks and pines molded in fantastic shapes, so beautiful that it rendered even Basho (who visited Matsushima in 1689) speechless - the tradition tells that the great poet was so paralyzed by the scenic grandeur that he could not capture it in a haiku. But this is a place of Zen and in the poet's "no-words" all words are contained.

See the Matsushima Kanko website for more information about Matsushima and how to get there.

References: Pictures of the Heart, The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua S. Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996); One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, by Peter MacMIllan (Penguin Classics); Traditional Japanese Poetry, An Anthology, by Steven D. Carter (Stanford University Press, 1991); Hyakunin Isshu by Inoue Muneo, etc. (Shinchosha, 1990); Genshoku Hyakunin Isshu by Suzuki Hideo, etc. (Buneido, 1997); Chishiki Zero kara no Hyakunin Isshu, by Ariyoshi Tamotsu (Gentosha); Hyakunin Isshu Kaibo Zukan, by Tani Tomoko (X-Knowledge);  Ogura Hyakunin Isshu at Japanese Text Initiative (University of Virginia Library Etext Center); Hyakunin Isshu wo aruku by Shimaoka Shin (Kofusha Shuppan); Hyakunin Isshu, Ocho waka kara chusei waka e by Inoue Muneo (Chikuma Shoin, 2004); Basho's Haiku (2 vols) by Toshiharu Oseko (Maruzen, 1990); The Ise Stories by Joshua S. Mostow and Royall Tyler (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010); Kokin Wakashu, The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford University Press, 1985); Kokinshu, A Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern by Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius (University of Tokyo Press, 1984); Kokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1994); Shinkokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1995); Taketori Monogatari-Ise Monogatari-Yamato Monogatari-Heichu Monogatari (Shogakkan, 1994).

    Photo: Wikipedia

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Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each): Poem 88 (Kokamon'in no Betto)

        Hyakunin Isshu, Poem 88

Translation and comments by Ad Blankestijn
(version September 2022)


due to one brief night together
short as a cut
of a reed from Naniwa bay
must I exhaust myself like the channel markers
and continue to love you for the rest of my days?

Naniwa e no
ashi no karine no
hitoyo yue
mi o tsukushite ya
koi wataru beki

難波江の
芦のかりねの
一夜ゆへ
身をつくしてや
恋わたるべき

Kokamon'in no Betto 皇嘉門院別当 (late 12th c.)

[Kokamon'in no Betto]

According to the headnote in the Senzaishu, this poem was composed for a waka contest on the topic of "Love: meeting at a travel lodging." The poem is an allusive variation (honkadori) of poem 20 by Motoyoshi. I have tried to bring out the pivot words (kakekotoba) in my translation, which however makes some lines rather long.

Notes

- Naniwa-e: the Bay of Osaka (Osaka was in ancient times called "Naniwa"). As Macmillan mentions, in Teika's time the Inlet of Naniwa was a place famous for meeting pleasure girls.
- karine: pivot word, meaning both "cut root" ("a reed's joint cut at the root") and "temporary sleep." "Temporary sleep" points at lovers sleeping together for one brief night. The reeds of Naniwa are often used as a metaphor for a short time span, as in poem 19 by Lady Ise.
- hito-yo: pivot word, meaning both "one joint/segment (of a reed)" and "one night"
- mi wo tsukushite: pivot word, meaning both "exhausting myself" and "channel marker (for boats in Naniwa Bay)." Channel markers are frequently mentioned in love poetry; as these buoys were made of wood, they decayed quickly in salt water.
- wataru: tsuzukeru, continue. "-beki" indicates conjecture.

The Poet

Kokamon'in no Betto (late 12th c.) was the daughter of Minamoto no Toshitaka. She served as lady-in-waiting to Empress Seishi (1122-11181), the wife of Emperor Sutoku, who after taking the tonsure at the end of her life was known as Kokamon'in. Relatively unknown, she has only 9 poems in the Senzaishu and other imperial anthologies. According to Mostow, Teika probably included this poem by a relatively insignificant poet to echo poem 20 by Motoyoshi.

References: Pictures of the Heart, The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua S. Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996); One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, by Peter MacMIllan (Penguin Classics); Traditional Japanese Poetry, An Anthology, by Steven D. Carter (Stanford University Press, 1991); Hyakunin Isshu by Inoue Muneo, etc. (Shinchosha, 1990); Genshoku Hyakunin Isshu by Suzuki Hideo, etc. (Buneido, 1997); Chishiki Zero kara no Hyakunin Isshu, by Ariyoshi Tamotsu (Gentosha); Hyakunin Isshu Kaibo Zukan, by Tani Tomoko (X-Knowledge);  Ogura Hyakunin Isshu at Japanese Text Initiative (University of Virginia Library Etext Center); Hyakunin Isshu wo aruku by Shimaoka Shin (Kofusha Shuppan); Hyakunin Isshu, Ocho waka kara chusei waka e by Inoue Muneo (Chikuma Shoin, 2004); Basho's Haiku (2 vols) by Toshiharu Oseko (Maruzen, 1990); The Ise Stories by Joshua S. Mostow and Royall Tyler (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010); Kokin Wakashu, The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford University Press, 1985); Kokinshu, A Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern by Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius (University of Tokyo Press, 1984); Kokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1994); Shinkokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1995); Taketori Monogatari-Ise Monogatari-Yamato Monogatari-Heichu Monogatari (Shogakkan, 1994).

    Photo: Wikipedia

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Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each): Poem 86 (Saigyo)

       Hyakunin Isshu, Poem 86

Translation and comments by Ad Blankestijn
(version September 2022)


should I blame the moon
for making me dwell on things
as if commanding me to lament?
yet still the tears flow down
my reproachful face!

nageke tote
tsuki ya wa mono o
omowasuru
kakochi gao naru
waga namida kana

なげけとて
月やは物を
思はする
かこちがほなる
わがなみだかな

Saigyo 西行 (1118- 1190)

[Saigyo]

"Is it the moon that is causing me to be lost in thought, as if commanding me "Lament!" - No, that cannot be; and yet, as I gaze at the moon, my tears flow down just as if it were the moon's fault."

This is often read as a love poem, written in the persona of the resentful lover, but Saigyo was a deeply Buddhist poet, and I think it is best to interpret this poem as a philosophical complaint, or a general meditation on the human condition. Of course it is also possible to read the poem in a double sense, in which the moon is just as beautiful and out of reach as the beloved. In Buddhist poetry, the moon often is a symbol of enlightenment.

Notes

- tote: to itte
- ya wa: antonym, an expression which say the opposite of what the poet means
- kakochi: kakotsukeru, use something as a pretext

The Poet

Saigyo (1118-1190, real name Sato Norikiyo), was a Japanese poet and Buddhist monk. He was born in Kyoto to a wealthy family who had served the imperial court for generations. At the age of 23 he gave up his wife and children, went to Saga and became a monk of the Buddhist Shingon school. The status of a monk enabled him to live a comparatively free wandering life, in the course of which he created a wealth of poetry. He travels took him from the Kansai to Kamakura and northern Japan. But he spent most of his life living as a recluse on Mt Koya (where the head temple of the Shingon school stands) and Yoshino.

Saigyo exerted a great influence on later poets up to Sogi (1421-1502) and Basho (1644-1694). Contemporaries and later generations valued him as the archetype of the wandering poet and poet monk.

See my translations of 10 more poems by Saigyo in the series "Japanese Poetry."

References: Pictures of the Heart, The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua S. Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996); One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, by Peter MacMIllan (Penguin Classics); Traditional Japanese Poetry, An Anthology, by Steven D. Carter (Stanford University Press, 1991); Hyakunin Isshu by Inoue Muneo, etc. (Shinchosha, 1990); Genshoku Hyakunin Isshu by Suzuki Hideo, etc. (Buneido, 1997); Chishiki Zero kara no Hyakunin Isshu, by Ariyoshi Tamotsu (Gentosha); Hyakunin Isshu Kaibo Zukan, by Tani Tomoko (X-Knowledge);  Ogura Hyakunin Isshu at Japanese Text Initiative (University of Virginia Library Etext Center); Hyakunin Isshu wo aruku by Shimaoka Shin (Kofusha Shuppan); Hyakunin Isshu, Ocho waka kara chusei waka e by Inoue Muneo (Chikuma Shoin, 2004); Basho's Haiku (2 vols) by Toshiharu Oseko (Maruzen, 1990); The Ise Stories by Joshua S. Mostow and Royall Tyler (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010); Kokin Wakashu, The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford University Press, 1985); Kokinshu, A Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern by Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius (University of Tokyo Press, 1984); Kokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1994); Shinkokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1995); Taketori Monogatari-Ise Monogatari-Yamato Monogatari-Heichu Monogatari (Shogakkan, 1994).

    Photo: Wikipedia

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Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each): Poem 85 (Priest Shun'e)

     Hyakunin Isshu, Poem 85


during all the nights
that I spend full of longing
daylight refuses to come
and even the gaps in the shutters
are cruel to me


yo mo sugara
mono omou koro wa
ake yaranu
neya no hima sae
tsurenakarikeri

夜もすがら
物思ふ頃は
明けやらぬ
ねやのひまさへ
つれなかりけり

Priest Shun'e (1113–1191)

[Shun'e]

Written on the set topic of "love," this poem was composed from the point of view of the woman. She complains about her cruel lover, who doesn't show up, and while endlessly waiting, even the first signs of light don't come peeking through the gaps in the shutters (or the door) to end her vigil. 

Notes
- yo mo sugara: the whole night
- mono omou koro wa: the longing for her cold lover. "koro wa" indicates that such a situation continues every night.
- neya no hima sae: "neya" is "bedroom." "hima" is a "gap." Here the gaps in the door or the shutters of the bedroom are meant. "Sae" means:  her lover is cruel, and even the gaps in the shutters are also cruel."
- tsurenakarikeri: "tsurenachi" is "cruel, cold." "-keri" indicates a sigh, a lament.

The Poet
Shun'e Hoshi was the son of Minamoto no Toshiyori (poem 74). He was tutored in waka composition by his father, but after the latter died he took monastic orders in Todaiji. In his residence in Shirakawa in Heiankyo he held poetry meetings and contests. Among his students was Kamo no Chomei, who recorded Shun'e's words in his Mumyosho. Shun'e has 83 poems in the Shikashu and other imperial collections; his personal poetry collection is also extant.

References: Pictures of the Heart, The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua S. Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996); One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, by Peter MacMIllan (Penguin Classics); Traditional Japanese Poetry, An Anthology, by Steven D. Carter (Stanford University Press, 1991); Hyakunin Isshu by Inoue Muneo, etc. (Shinchosha, 1990); Genshoku Hyakunin Isshu by Suzuki Hideo, etc. (Buneido, 1997); Chishiki Zero kara no Hyakunin Isshu, by Ariyoshi Tamotsu (Gentosha); Hyakunin Isshu Kaibo Zukan, by Tani Tomoko (X-Knowledge);  Ogura Hyakunin Isshu at Japanese Text Initiative (University of Virginia Library Etext Center); Hyakunin Isshu wo aruku by Shimaoka Shin (Kofusha Shuppan); Hyakunin Isshu, Ocho waka kara chusei waka e by Inoue Muneo (Chikuma Shoin, 2004); Basho's Haiku (2 vols) by Toshiharu Oseko (Maruzen, 1990); The Ise Stories by Joshua S. Mostow and Royall Tyler (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010); Kokin Wakashu, The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford University Press, 1985); Kokinshu, A Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern by Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius (University of Tokyo Press, 1984); Kokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1994); Shinkokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1995); Taketori Monogatari-Ise Monogatari-Yamato Monogatari-Heichu Monogatari (Shogakkan, 1994).

    Photo: Wikipedia

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Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each): Poem 84 (Fujiwara no Kiyosuke)

      Hyakunin Isshu, Poem 84


if I live longer
shall I again
yearn for the present time?
the world I once regarded as bitter
now is dear to me!

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

ながらへば
またこの頃や
しのばれむ
憂しと見し世ぞ
今は恋しき

Fujiwara no Kiyosuke (1104- 1177)

"If it is true that time heals all wounds, the poet may even look back with equanimity at the troubled times of today." Kiyosuke could be writing about the disappointments in his own life, such as the failure to have the Shoku Shikashu recognized as an official collection. Other commentators mention the general decline of the world, or the political disturbances of the Hogen era. It seems that he bases himself on a poem by Bai Juyi.

Notes
-nagaraeba: moshi ikinagaraete ita naraba
- "ya" indicates a light doubt; "mu" indicates a presumption. "ima ga natsukashiku omoiokosareru koto daro ka."
- ushi to mise yo: tsurai to omotte ita kakko

The Poet
Fujiwara no Kiyosuke (1104- 1177) was the second son of Akisuke (poem 79), from whom he inherited the leadership of the Rokujo school of poetry. He compiled the Shoku Shikashu for Emperor Nijo, but as his sponsor died before it was completed, it was prevented from becoming an official imperial anthology. He was one of the first to apply rules of choosing themes, participants and judges in the uta-awase poetry gatherings. His standards of judging poetry, made him a rival of Fujiwara no Shunzei. Kiyosuke has 94 poems in the Senzaishu and later imperial collections; a personal collection is also extant.

References: Pictures of the Heart, The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua S. Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996); One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, by Peter MacMIllan (Penguin Classics); Traditional Japanese Poetry, An Anthology, by Steven D. Carter (Stanford University Press, 1991); Hyakunin Isshu by Inoue Muneo, etc. (Shinchosha, 1990); Genshoku Hyakunin Isshu by Suzuki Hideo, etc. (Buneido, 1997); Chishiki Zero kara no Hyakunin Isshu, by Ariyoshi Tamotsu (Gentosha); Hyakunin Isshu Kaibo Zukan, by Tani Tomoko (X-Knowledge);  Ogura Hyakunin Isshu at Japanese Text Initiative (University of Virginia Library Etext Center); Hyakunin Isshu wo aruku by Shimaoka Shin (Kofusha Shuppan); Hyakunin Isshu, Ocho waka kara chusei waka e by Inoue Muneo (Chikuma Shoin, 2004); Basho's Haiku (2 vols) by Toshiharu Oseko (Maruzen, 1990); The Ise Stories by Joshua S. Mostow and Royall Tyler (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010); Kokin Wakashu, The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford University Press, 1985); Kokinshu, A Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern by Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius (University of Tokyo Press, 1984); Kokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1994); Shinkokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1995); Taketori Monogatari-Ise Monogatari-Yamato Monogatari-Heichu Monogatari (Shogakkan, 1994).

    Photo: Wikipedia

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Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each): Poem 83 (Fujiwara no Shunzei)

     Hyakunin Isshu, Poem 83


in this world
the Way does not exist -
troubled, I entered
deep into the mountains
but even there I hear the deer crying

yo no naka yo
michi koso nakere
omoi iru
yama no oku ni mo
shika zo naku naru

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

Fujiwara no Shunzei (1114–1204)

[Shunzei, by Yosai]

According to the headnote, this poem was written on the subject of "deer" in a hundred poem sequence on the larger theme of "personal grievances. Traditional commentators have tried to figure out what was on the poet's mind, and have come up with the following list of possibilities: the idea of melancholy; the idea of one's own mortality; the political disorder of the world. In his collection of essays, On Haiku, Hiroaki Sato offers another explanation: he thinks it refers to Shunzei's decision not to take Buddhist vows.

Notes
- yo: indicates feeling
- michi: the Way (Buddhism)
- omoi-iru: a pivot word, "troubled," but also "to enter (the mountains)."
- shika zo naku naru: this refers to stags calling for their mates.

In other words, as Hiroaki Sato writes, "Despairing of the state of the world, he entered the mountains, the training ground for ascetics; but he found himself perturbed by stags calling for their mates and recognized that he himself wasn't yet capable of transcending lust and other worldly distractions" (Hiroaki Sato, On Haiku, New Direction Books, p. 29). The above translation is also based on Hiroaki Sato, for his explanation is very interesting.

Fujiwara no Shunzei was only 26 when he wrote this poem in 1140. He did take Buddhist vows much later, when he was in his sixties.

The Poet
Fujiwara no Shunzei (1114–1204), also known as Fujiwara no Toshinari, was noted for his innovations in the waka poetic form and compiling the Senzaishu ("Collection of a Thousand Years"), the seventh imperial anthology of waka poetry, completed in 1188. It was commissioned by the Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa and contains 1,285 poems.

Shunzei was a descendant of the statesman Fujiwara no Michinaga and the son of Fujiwara no Toshitada of the Mikohidari branch of the influential aristocratic Fujiwara clan. Shunzei was the poetic arbiter of his day and the father of Teika (poem 97). He has 452 poems in the Shikashu and later imperial collections; a personal collection is also extant.

Senzaishu (Senzai Wakashu)

Senzaishu (千載和歌集, "Collection of a Thousand Years"), 20 scrolls, 1,285 poems, ordered by Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa, probably completed in 1188, compiled by Fujiwara no Shunzei (also known as Toshinari)

Poems included in Hyakunin Isshu: 64, 67, 74, 75, 80, 81, 82, 83, 85, 86, 88, 90, 92, 95 (total 14)

References: Pictures of the Heart, The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua S. Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996); One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, by Peter MacMIllan (Penguin Classics); Traditional Japanese Poetry, An Anthology, by Steven D. Carter (Stanford University Press, 1991); Hyakunin Isshu by Inoue Muneo, etc. (Shinchosha, 1990); Genshoku Hyakunin Isshu by Suzuki Hideo, etc. (Buneido, 1997); Chishiki Zero kara no Hyakunin Isshu, by Ariyoshi Tamotsu (Gentosha); Hyakunin Isshu Kaibo Zukan, by Tani Tomoko (X-Knowledge);  Ogura Hyakunin Isshu at Japanese Text Initiative (University of Virginia Library Etext Center); Hyakunin Isshu wo aruku by Shimaoka Shin (Kofusha Shuppan); Hyakunin Isshu, Ocho waka kara chusei waka e by Inoue Muneo (Chikuma Shoin, 2004); Basho's Haiku (2 vols) by Toshiharu Oseko (Maruzen, 1990); The Ise Stories by Joshua S. Mostow and Royall Tyler (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010); Kokin Wakashu, The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford University Press, 1985); Kokinshu, A Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern by Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius (University of Tokyo Press, 1984); Kokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1994); Shinkokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1995); Taketori Monogatari-Ise Monogatari-Yamato Monogatari-Heichu Monogatari (Shogakkan, 1994).

    Photo: Wikipedia

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Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each): Poem 82 (Doin)

      Hyakunin Isshu, Poem 82

Translation and comments by Ad Blankestijn
(version September 2022)


despite my suffering
I somehow manage
to cling to life
but it are my tears
that can't bear the pain

omoi wabi
satemo inochi wa
aru mono o
uki ni taenu wa
namida nari keri

思ひわび
さても命は
あるものを
憂きに堪へぬは
なみだなりけり

Doin 道因 (1090-1179)

A love poem bemoaning a lover's cruelty. As there is no head note, we do not know whether it was written for an actual person, or simply composed on a set topic, for a poetry contest - but the latter is probable, as this is a rather rhetorical construction.

Notes

- omoiwabi: suffering from (unfulfilled) love
- satemo: "sore demo yahari," "despite" (refers to "omoiwabi")
- uki: anguish, pain

The Poet

Doin's given name was Fujiwara no Atsuyori. He was a son of Kiyotaka. He served as Lieutenant of the Stables of the Left and entered religion in 1172. From around 1160 on, he was a participant in the major poetic events of his day and was a member of a group of poets who gathered about Shun'e (poem 85). Forty-one of his poems were included in imperial anthologies from the Senzaishu on.

References: Pictures of the Heart, The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua S. Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996); One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, by Peter MacMIllan (Penguin Classics); Traditional Japanese Poetry, An Anthology, by Steven D. Carter (Stanford University Press, 1991); Hyakunin Isshu by Inoue Muneo, etc. (Shinchosha, 1990); Genshoku Hyakunin Isshu by Suzuki Hideo, etc. (Buneido, 1997); Chishiki Zero kara no Hyakunin Isshu, by Ariyoshi Tamotsu (Gentosha); Hyakunin Isshu Kaibo Zukan, by Tani Tomoko (X-Knowledge);  Ogura Hyakunin Isshu at Japanese Text Initiative (University of Virginia Library Etext Center); Hyakunin Isshu wo aruku by Shimaoka Shin (Kofusha Shuppan); Hyakunin Isshu, Ocho waka kara chusei waka e by Inoue Muneo (Chikuma Shoin, 2004); Basho's Haiku (2 vols) by Toshiharu Oseko (Maruzen, 1990); The Ise Stories by Joshua S. Mostow and Royall Tyler (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010); Kokin Wakashu, The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford University Press, 1985); Kokinshu, A Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern by Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius (University of Tokyo Press, 1984); Kokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1994); Shinkokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1995); Taketori Monogatari-Ise Monogatari-Yamato Monogatari-Heichu Monogatari (Shogakkan, 1994).

    Photo: Wikipedia

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Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each): Poem 81 (Fujiwara no Sanesada)

      Hyakunin Isshu, Poem 81

Translation and comments by Ad Blankestijn
(version September 2022)


when I turned my gaze
toward where I heard
the lesser cuckoo sing -
I only found
the moon of early dawn

hototogisu
nakitsuru kata o
nagamureba
tada ariake no
tsuki zo nokoreru

ほととぎす
鳴きつる方を
眺むれば
ただ有明の
月ぞのこれる

Fujiwara no Sanesada 徳大寺実定 (1139-1191)

[Hototogisu, the lesser cuckoo]

Composed on the set topic of "Hearing the hototogisu at dawn (after waiting up all night for one cry of this bird)." The hototogisu, or lesser cuckoo, has a gentle call and is one of the best loved Japanese song birds. As this bird arrives around May in Japan, it is considered the harbinger of early summer. From the time of the first poetry collection, the Manyoshu (8th century), this small bird has inspired many poets. See for example also this haiku by Basho. After hearing its song, the poet looks for the hototogisu, but instead he sees the dawn moon (the dawn moon is another important topic, depicted in poem 21, poem 30 and poem 31).

Notes

- nakitsurukata: naita hokaku, "the direction from which its call came." "-tsuru" indicates completion.
- nagamureba: "nagame yaru to".
- ariake no tsuki: the moon that it left in the sky while it is already getting light in the early morning.

The Poet

Fujiwara no Sanesada (1139-1191; also called "Minister of the Left Tokudaiji") was a nephew of Shunzei (poem 83) and first cousin of Teika (poem 97). He was an able politician who rose to high position in the chaotic years of the Heike wars. He has 87 poems in the Senzaishu and other imperial collections; a personal poetry collection survives, as does a diary.

References: Pictures of the Heart, The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua S. Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996); One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, by Peter MacMIllan (Penguin Classics); Traditional Japanese Poetry, An Anthology, by Steven D. Carter (Stanford University Press, 1991); Hyakunin Isshu by Inoue Muneo, etc. (Shinchosha, 1990); Genshoku Hyakunin Isshu by Suzuki Hideo, etc. (Buneido, 1997); Chishiki Zero kara no Hyakunin Isshu, by Ariyoshi Tamotsu (Gentosha); Hyakunin Isshu Kaibo Zukan, by Tani Tomoko (X-Knowledge);  Ogura Hyakunin Isshu at Japanese Text Initiative (University of Virginia Library Etext Center); Hyakunin Isshu wo aruku by Shimaoka Shin (Kofusha Shuppan); Hyakunin Isshu, Ocho waka kara chusei waka e by Inoue Muneo (Chikuma Shoin, 2004); Basho's Haiku (2 vols) by Toshiharu Oseko (Maruzen, 1990); The Ise Stories by Joshua S. Mostow and Royall Tyler (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010); Kokin Wakashu, The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford University Press, 1985); Kokinshu, A Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern by Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius (University of Tokyo Press, 1984); Kokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1994); Shinkokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1995); Taketori Monogatari-Ise Monogatari-Yamato Monogatari-Heichu Monogatari (Shogakkan, 1994).

    Photo: Wikipedia

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Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each): Poem 80 (Taikenmon'in no Horikawa)

 Hyakunin Isshu, Poem 80

Translation and comments by Ad Blankestijn
(version September 2022)


I've no idea
how long your love will last -
my long black hair
disheveled, this morning
my feelings are also in a tangle

nagakaramu
kokoro mo shirazu
kurokami no
midarete kesa wa
mono o koso omoe

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

Horikawa of the Taikenmon'in 待賢門院堀河 (fl. mid 12th c.)

[Kamisuki (Combing her hair), shin-hanga by Hashimoto Goyo (1920)]

A poem, part of a hundred-poem sequence, composed on the sentiment of love, a fixed topic. As a "morning after" poem (kinuginu no uta), this would be addressed by the woman to her lover who has just spent the night with her. The poem, in the sensual yoen style, stresses the sexiness of long black hair. The fact that is is now tangled, indicates that the lovers have spent an intense night together, but it also demonstrates the complex feelings the woman has after the encounter. She worries about her partner's commitment and their future relationship. The theme of tangled, long black hair was taken up by the modern tanka poet Yosano Akiko, who also used it to portray vehement, and complex, emotions (and also used it to name her first tanka collection).

Notes

- nagakaramu kokoro: "your heart that doesn't change." "mu" indicates a supposition. "nagakaramu" ("continuing for a long time") is an engo for "kurokami," as women's hair in that period was always very long.
- kurokami mo midarete: "midare, disheveled" is linked with "black hair" but also with the "thoughts" (or heart) in the last sentence.
- kesa wa: this morning = the morning after their night of love.
- koso: an intensifier.

The Poet

Horikawa of the Taikenmon'in (fl. mid 12th c.) was a daughter of Minamoto no Akinaka. She served Taikenmon'in, Emperor Toba's consort and the mother of Emperor Sutoku (poem 77). In 1142, when Taikenmon'in Shoshi took the tonsure and entered the priesthood, she followed her master and became a nun. She joined the 'Sessho Sadaijin Tadamichi Uta-awase (poetry contest)' and the 'Nishinomiya Uta-awase,' and in 1143, she was invited by the Cloistered Emperor Sutoku to compose a poem for the 'Kyuan Hyaku shu' (one-hundred poem sequence of the Kyuan era). The Zotoka (poetry exchanged between man and woman) which she exchanged with Saigyo still remains in existence. She has 66 poems in the Kin'yoshu and later imperial anthologies. A personal poetry collection also exists.

References: Pictures of the Heart, The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua S. Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996); One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, by Peter MacMIllan (Penguin Classics); Traditional Japanese Poetry, An Anthology, by Steven D. Carter (Stanford University Press, 1991); Hyakunin Isshu by Inoue Muneo, etc. (Shinchosha, 1990); Genshoku Hyakunin Isshu by Suzuki Hideo, etc. (Buneido, 1997); Chishiki Zero kara no Hyakunin Isshu, by Ariyoshi Tamotsu (Gentosha); Hyakunin Isshu Kaibo Zukan, by Tani Tomoko (X-Knowledge);  Ogura Hyakunin Isshu at Japanese Text Initiative (University of Virginia Library Etext Center); Hyakunin Isshu wo aruku by Shimaoka Shin (Kofusha Shuppan); Hyakunin Isshu, Ocho waka kara chusei waka e by Inoue Muneo (Chikuma Shoin, 2004); Basho's Haiku (2 vols) by Toshiharu Oseko (Maruzen, 1990); The Ise Stories by Joshua S. Mostow and Royall Tyler (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010); Kokin Wakashu, The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford University Press, 1985); Kokinshu, A Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern by Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius (University of Tokyo Press, 1984); Kokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1994); Shinkokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1995); Taketori Monogatari-Ise Monogatari-Yamato Monogatari-Heichu Monogatari (Shogakkan, 1994).

    Photo: Wikipedia

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Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each): Poem 79 (Fujiwara no Akisuke)

     Hyakunin Isshu, Poem 79

Translation and comments by Ad Blankestijn
(version September 2022)


the moonlight piercing
through a break
in the clouds drifting
on the autumn wind -
how clear and bright it is!

akikaze ni
tanabiku kumo no
taema yori
more-izuru tsuki no
kage no sayakesa

秋風に
たなびく雲の
たえまより
もれ出づる月の
かげのさやけさ

Fujiwara no Akisuke 藤原顕輔 (1090-1155)

A straightforward, descriptive poem on the beauty of the moon, which appears now and then through a break in the drifting clouds. The fact that the moon is now hidden and then appears again, makes it all the more beautiful. At the same time, the rustling autumn wind adds a feeling of freshness.

Notes

- akikaze ni tanabiku kumo: "ni" indicates a reason: clouds drifting long sideways because of the autumn wind.
- taema: an opening in the clouds.
- moreizuru: passing through the break in the clouds
- tsuki no kage: the light (here not "shadow") of the moon.
- sayakesa: clear brightness

The Poet

Fujiwara no Akisuke (1090-1155) was a court noble and poet of the late Heian period. He served as "Master of the Western Capital" - Heiankyo was divided into an eastern and western half which were each controlled by an administrative office headed by a "master" or daibu. Surrounded by a number of talented poets, he played an active role in many poetry gatherings and contests, including the poetry contest held at the North Wing of the imperial residence of Toba in 1116. In 1144 he was commissioned by the Cloistered Emperor Sutoku to compile an imperial anthology, which was completed as "Shikashu" (the Collection of Verbal Flowers) in 1151. 84 of his verses were selected for the imperial anthologies from the Kin'yoshu (the Collection of Golden Leaves) onward. He also compiled a private anthology. Akisuke founded the Rokujo school of poets (a hereditary system) of the Rokujo clan of the Fujiwara family. This school opposed the new style championed by Teika's father, Shunzei (poem 83). Akisuke was the father of Kiyosuke (poem 84).

Shikashu (Shika Wakashu)

Shikashu (詞花和歌集, "Collection of Verbal Flowers"), 10 scrolls, 411 poems, ordered in 1144 by the Cloistered Emperor Sutoku, completed c. 1151–1154, compiled by Fujiwara Akisuke. The Shikashu is the shortest of the imperial anthologies. Despite Akisuke's ostensibly conservative nature, it is rather eclectic and has a wide variety of poems, including one by Saigyo.

Poems included in Hyakunin Isshu: 48, 49, 61, 76, 77 (total 5)

References: Pictures of the Heart, The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua S. Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996); One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, by Peter MacMIllan (Penguin Classics); Traditional Japanese Poetry, An Anthology, by Steven D. Carter (Stanford University Press, 1991); Hyakunin Isshu by Inoue Muneo, etc. (Shinchosha, 1990); Genshoku Hyakunin Isshu by Suzuki Hideo, etc. (Buneido, 1997); Chishiki Zero kara no Hyakunin Isshu, by Ariyoshi Tamotsu (Gentosha); Hyakunin Isshu Kaibo Zukan, by Tani Tomoko (X-Knowledge);  Ogura Hyakunin Isshu at Japanese Text Initiative (University of Virginia Library Etext Center); Hyakunin Isshu wo aruku by Shimaoka Shin (Kofusha Shuppan); Hyakunin Isshu, Ocho waka kara chusei waka e by Inoue Muneo (Chikuma Shoin, 2004); Basho's Haiku (2 vols) by Toshiharu Oseko (Maruzen, 1990); The Ise Stories by Joshua S. Mostow and Royall Tyler (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010); Kokin Wakashu, The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford University Press, 1985); Kokinshu, A Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern by Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius (University of Tokyo Press, 1984); Kokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1994); Shinkokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1995); Taketori Monogatari-Ise Monogatari-Yamato Monogatari-Heichu Monogatari (Shogakkan, 1994).

    Photo: Wikipedia

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Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each): Poem 78 (Minamoto no Kanemasa)

    Hyakunin Isshu, Poem 78

Translation and comments by Ad Blankestijn
(version September 2022)


barrier guard of Suma
how many nights have you been wakened
by the crying voices
of the plovers who visit
from Awaji Island?

Awaji shima
kayou chidori no
naku koe ni
ikuyo nezamenu
Suma no sekimori

淡路島
かよふ千鳥の
なく声に
いくよねざめぬ
すまの関守

Minamoto no Kanemasa 源兼昌 (fl. early 12th c.)

[Awaji Island seen from Suma (with the modern Awaji Kaikyo bridge)]

A poem written on the topic "plovers at the barrier road." By mentioning Suma, the author has it allude to the Suma chapter of The Tale of Genji, during which Genji is in exile. In his case, the voices of the plovers at dawn have a soothing effect. The poem compares Genji to a guard keeping watch at the Barrier of Suma, who is every morning woken up by the cries of the plovers flying over from Awaji Island. The Genji was in the 12th c. regarded as a monument of court culture and poets were advised to study the 800+ waka poems it contains (as well as their specific situations). Kanemasa's poem was appreciated for its refined sadness, which is not uttered directly, but put into the mouth of the barrier guard, and which is given more scope by the allusion to the Genji Monogatari.

Notes

- Awaji is an island SW of Suma. Both are in present-day Hyogo.
- kayou: to go back and forth, to commute. Or in this case it is perhaps more natural to consider the plovers as coming from Awaji Island and passing by the spot where the barrier guard is.
- The call of chidori, plovers, was considered as a rather sad sound. "ni" indicates the reason.
- iku yo nazamenu: "nezamenu" normally means "do not wake," but here all commentators agree that the meaning is affirmative and perfective in the sense of "they have awakened him." The grammatical rationalizations vary.

The Poet

Minamoto no Kanemasa (fl. early 12th c.) was a courtier and poet of the early 12th c. His father was Minamoto no Kanesuke. His date of death is unknown but he was still alive in 1128. He participated in several uta awase (waka contests) in 1100, 1115, 1118 and 1119 and frequented the poetic circles sponsored by the Cloistered Emperor Horikawa and by the chancelor Fujiwara no Tadamichi. He also organized a waka competition in 1116. Seven of his poems are included in imperial anthologies such as the Kin'yoshu.

Visiting

Suma beach is close to Suma St on the JR Sanyo line out of Kobe. There is a 1.5 km long stretch of sand here.

To experience the link with Awaji as the plovers do in the poem, you can walk the Maiko Marine Promenade, a walkway under the platform of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, about 50 meters above the water. You get there by elevator from the base of the bridge (Kobe side). The walkways offer a unique view of the Akashi Strait and Osaka Bay (and of course the bridge's interior). On the Kobe side is also a Bridge Exhibition Center. A short walk from Maiko Station on the JR Sanyo Line or Maiko-Koen Station on the Sanyo Railway Line.

References: Pictures of the Heart, The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua S. Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996); One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, by Peter MacMIllan (Penguin Classics); Traditional Japanese Poetry, An Anthology, by Steven D. Carter (Stanford University Press, 1991); Hyakunin Isshu by Inoue Muneo, etc. (Shinchosha, 1990); Genshoku Hyakunin Isshu by Suzuki Hideo, etc. (Buneido, 1997); Chishiki Zero kara no Hyakunin Isshu, by Ariyoshi Tamotsu (Gentosha); Hyakunin Isshu Kaibo Zukan, by Tani Tomoko (X-Knowledge);  Ogura Hyakunin Isshu at Japanese Text Initiative (University of Virginia Library Etext Center); Hyakunin Isshu wo aruku by Shimaoka Shin (Kofusha Shuppan); Hyakunin Isshu, Ocho waka kara chusei waka e by Inoue Muneo (Chikuma Shoin, 2004); Basho's Haiku (2 vols) by Toshiharu Oseko (Maruzen, 1990); The Ise Stories by Joshua S. Mostow and Royall Tyler (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010); Kokin Wakashu, The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford University Press, 1985); Kokinshu, A Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern by Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius (University of Tokyo Press, 1984); Kokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1994); Shinkokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1995); Taketori Monogatari-Ise Monogatari-Yamato Monogatari-Heichu Monogatari (Shogakkan, 1994).

Photo: Wikipedia

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