  I Spring, spring has come, while yet the landscape bears Its fleecy burden of unmelted snow! Now may the zephyr gently 'gin to blow, To melt the nightingale's sweet frozen tears. Anon. II Amid the branches of the silv'ry bowers The nightingale doth sing: perchance he knows That spring hath come, and takes the later snows For the white petals of the plum's sweet flowers. Sosei. III Too lightly woven must the garments be— Garments of mist—that clothe the coming spring:— In wild disorder see them fluttering Soon as the zephyr breathes adown the lea. Yukihara. IV Heedless that now the mists of spring do rise, Why fly the wild geese northward?—Can it be Their native home is fairer to their eyes, Though no sweet flowers blossom on its lea? Ise. V If earth but ceased to offer to my sight The beauteous cherry-trees when blossoming, Ah! then indeed, with peaceful, pure delight, My heart might revel in the joys of spring! Narihira. VI Tell me, doth any know the dark recess Where dwell the winds that scatter the spring flow'rs? Hide it not from me! By the heav'nly pow'rs, I'll search them out to upbraid their wickedness! Sosei. VII No man so callous but he heaves a sigh When o'er his head the withered cherry-flowers Come flutt'ring down.—Who knows? the spring's soft show'rs May be but tears shed by the sorrowing sky. Kuronushi. VIII Whom would your cries, with artful calumny, Accuse of scatt'ring the pale cherry-flow'rs? 'Tis your own pinions flitting through these bow'rs That raise the gust which makes them fall and die! Sosei. IX In blossoms the wistaria-tree to-day Breaks forth, that sweep the wavelets of my lake:— When will the mountain cuckoo come and make The garden vocal with his first sweet lay? Attributed to Hitomaro. X Oh, lotus leaf! I dreamt that the wide earth Held nought more pure than thee—held nought more true:— Why, then, when on thee rolls a drop of dew, Pretend that 'tis a gem of priceless worth? HeÑzeu. XI Can I be dreaming? 'Twas but yesterday We planted out each tender shoot again; And now the autumn breeze sighs o'er the plain, Where fields of yellow rice confess its sway. Anon. XII A thousand thoughts of tender, vague regret, Crowd on my soul, what time I stand and gaze On the soft-shining autumn moon; and yet Not to me only speaks her silv'ry haze. Chisato. XIII What bark impelled by autumn's fresh'ning gale Comes speeding t'ward me?—'Tis the wild geese arriv'n Across the fathomless expanse of Heav'n, And lifting up their voices for a sail! Anon. XIV Autumn The silv'ry dewdrops that in autumn light Upon the moors, must surely jewels be; For there they hang all over hill and lea, Strung on the threads the spiders weave so tight. Asayasu. XV Autumn The trees and herbage, as the year doth wane, For gold and russet leave their former hue— All but the wave-toss'd flow'rets of the main, That never yet chill autumn's empire knew. Yasuhide. XVI Autumn The dews are all of one pale silv'ry white:— Then tell me, if thou canst, oh! tell me why These silv'ry dews so marvellously dye The autumn leaves a myriad colors bright? Toshiyuki. XVII Autumn The warp is hoar-frost and the woof is dew— Too frail, alas! the warp and woof to be:— For scarce the woods their damask robes endue, When, torn and soiled, they flutter o'er the lea. Sekiwo. XVIII Autumn E'en when on earth the thund'ring gods held sway Was such a sight beheld?—Calm Tatsta's flood, Stain'd, as by Chinese art, with hues of blood, Rolls o'er YamÁto's peaceful fields away. Narihira. XIX Winter When falls the snow, lo! ev'ry herb and tree, That in seclusion through the wintry hours Long time had been held fast, breaks forth in flow'rs That ne'er in spring were known upon the lea. Tsurayuki. XX Winter When from the skies, that wintry gloom enshrouds, The blossoms fall and flutter round my head, Methinks the spring e'en now his light must shed O'er heavenly lands that lie beyond the clouds. Fukayabu. XXI Congratulations A thousand years of happy life be thine! Live on, my lord, till what are pebbles now, By age united, to great rocks shall grow, Whose venerable sides the moss doth line! Anon. XXII Congratulations Of all the days and months that hurry by Nor leave a trace, how long the weary tale! And yet how few the springs when in the vale On the dear flow'rets I may feast mine eye! Okikaze. XXIII Congratulations If ever mortal in the days of yore By Heav'n a thousand years of life was lent, I wot not; but if never seen before, Be thou the man to make the precedent. Sosei. XXIV Parting Mine oft-reiterated pray'rs in vain The parting guest would stay: Oh, cherry-flow'rs! Pour down your petals, that from out these bow'rs He ne'er may find the homeward path again! Anon. XXV Travelling With roseate hues that pierce th' autumnal haze The spreading dawn lights up Akashi's shore; But the fair ship, alas! is seen no more:— An island veils it from my loving gaze. Attributed to Hitomaro. XXVI Travelling Miyako-bird! if not in vain men give Thy pleasing name, my question deign to hear:— And has she pass'd away, my darling dear, Or doth she still for Narihira live? Narihira. XXVIII Love The barest ledge of rock, if but a seed Alight upon it, lets the pine-tree grow:— If, then, thy love for me be love indeed, We'll come together, dear; it must be so! Anon. XXIX Love There is on earth a thing more bootless still Than to write figures on a running stream:— And that thing is (believe me if you will) To dream of one who ne'er of you doth dream. Anon. XXXI Love Since that first night when, bath'd in hopeless tears, I sank asleep, and he I love did seem To visit me, I welcome ev'ry dream, Sure that they come as heav'n-sent messengers. Komachi. XXXII Love Methinks my tenderness the grass must be, Clothing some mountain desolate and lone; For though it daily grows luxuriantly, To ev'ry mortal eye 'tis still unknown. Yoshiki. XXXIII Love Upon the causeway through the land of dreams Surely the dews must plentifully light:— For when I've wandered up and down all night, My sleeve's so wet that nought will dry its streams. Tsurayuki. XXXIV Love Fast fall the silv'ry dews, albeit not yet 'Tis autumn weather; for each drop's a tear, Shed till the pillow of my hand is wet, As I wake from dreaming of my dear. Anon. XXXV Love I ask'd my soul where springs th' ill-omened seed That bears the herb of dull forgetfulness; And answer straightway came:—Th' accursed weed Grows in that heart which knows no tenderness. Sosei. XXXVI Elegies So frail our life, perchance to-morrow's sun May never rise for me. Ah! well-a-day! Till comes the twilight of the sad to-day, I'll mourn for thee, O thou beloved one! Tsurayuki. XXXVII Elegies The perfume is the same, the same the hue As that which erst my senses did delight:— But he who planted the fair avenue Is here no more, alas! to please my sight! Tsurayuki. XXXVIII Elegies One thing, alas! more fleeting have I seen Than wither'd leaves driv'n by the autumn gust:— Yea, evanescent as the whirling dust Is man's brief passage o'er this mortal scene! Chisato. XXXIX Softly the dews upon my forehead light:— From off the oars, perchance, as feather'd spray, They drop, while some fair skiff bends on her way Across the Heav'nly Stream Anon. XL What though the waters of that antique rill That flows along the heath, no more are cold; Those who remember what it was of old Go forth to draw them in their buckets still. Anon. XLI Old Age is not a friend I wish to meet; And if some day to see me he should come, I'd lock the door as he walk'd up the street, And cry, "Most honored sir! I'm not at home!" Anon. XLII Yes, I am old; but yet with doleful stour I will not choose to rail 'gainst Fate's decree. An' I had not grown old, then ne'er for me Had dawned the day that brings this golden hour. Toshiyuki. XLIII The roaring torrent scatters far and near Its silv'ry drops:—Oh! let me pick them up! For when of grief I drain some day the cup, Each will do service as a bitter tear. Yukihira. XLIV Composed on beholding the cascade of Otoha on Mount Hiye Long years, methinks, of sorrow and of care Must have pass'd over the old fountain-head Of the cascade; for, like a silv'ry thread, It rolls adown, nor shows one jet-black hair. Tadamine. XLV If e'en that grot where thou didst seek release From worldly strife in lonesome mountain glen Should find thee sometimes sorrowful, ah! then Where mayest thou farther flee to search for peace? Mitsune. XLVI So close thy friendly roof, so near the spring, That though not yet dull winter hath gone hence, The wind that bloweth o'er our parting fence From thee to me the first gay flow'rs doth bring. Fukayabu. XLVII If to this frame of mine in spring's first hour, When o'er the moor the lightsome mists do curl, Haply thou 'dst deign to pluck me, cruel girl! Okikaze. XLVIII "Love me, sweet girl! thy love is all I ask!" "Love thee?" she laughing cries; "I love thee not!" "Why, then I'll cease to love thee on the spot, Since loving thee is such a thankless task!" Anon. XLIX A youth once lov'd me, and his love I spurn'd. But see the vengeance of the pow'rs above On cold indiff'rence:—now 'tis I that love, And my fond love, alas! is not returned. Anon. L Beneath love's heavy weight my falt'ring soul Plods, like the packman, o'er life's dusty road. Oh! that some friendly hand would find a pole To ease my shoulders of their grievous load! Anon. FOOTNOTES: |
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