 | (Selected Poems of Masaoka Shiki, Translated by Janine Beichman) |  |
水無月の虚空に涼し時鳥
minazuki no
kokū ni suzushi
hototogisu
In the coolness
of the empty sixth-month sky...
the cuckoo's cry.
木をつみて夜の明やすき小窓かな
ki o tsumite
yo no akeyasuki
komado kana
the tree cut,
dawn breaks early
at my little window
一重づゝ一重つゝ散れ八重櫻
hitoezutsu
hitoezutsu chire
yaezakura
scatter layer
by layer, eight-layered
cherry blossoms!
名月の出るやゆらめく花薄
meigetsu no
deru ya yurameku
hanasusuki
at the full moon's
rising, the silver-plumed
reeds tremble
ちる花にもつるゝ鳥の翼かな
chiru hana ni
motsururu tori no
tsubasa kana
entangled with
the scattering cherry blossoms—
the wings of birds!
麥蒔やたばねあげたる桑の枝
mugi maki ya
tabane agetaru
kuwa no eda
wheat sowing—
the mulberry trees
lift bunched branches
松杉や枯野の中の不動堂
matsu sugi ya
kareno no naka no
Fudōdō
pine and cypress:
in a withered field,
a shrine to Fudō
すゝしさや神と佛の隣同士
suzushisa ya
kami to hotoke no
tonaridoshi
in the coolness
gods and Buddhas
dwell as neighbors
御佛に尻むけ居れば月涼し
mihotoke ni
shirimuke oreba
tsuki suzushi
I turn my back
on Buddha and face
the cool moon
見下せば月にすゞしや四千軒
mioroseba
tsuki ni suzushi ya
yonsenken
looking down I see,
cool in the moonlight,
4000 houses
月涼し蛙の聲のわきあがる
tsuki suzushi
kawazu no koe no
wakiagaru
the moon is cool—
frogs' croaking
wells up
すゞしさや瀧ほとばしる家のあひ
suzushisa ya
taki hotobashiru
ie no ai
coolness—
a mountain stream splashes out
between houses
春風に尾をひろげたる孔雀かな
harukaze ni
o o hirogetaru
kujaku kana
fanning out its tail
in the spring breeze,
see—a peacock!
柿くへば鐘が鳴るなり法隆寺
kaki kueba
kane ga narunari
Hōryūji
I bite into a persimmon
and a bell resounds—
Hōryūji
稻の花道灌山の日和かな
ine no hana
Dōkanyama no
hiyori kana
rice flowers—
fair weather on
Dōkanyama
稻刈るや燒場の烟たゝぬ日に
ine karu ya
yakiba no kemuri
tatanu hi ni
rice reaping—
no smoke rising from
the cremation ground today
古庭や月に湯婆の湯をこぼす
furuniwa ya
tsuki ni tanpo no
yu o kobosu
old garden—she empties
a hot-water bottle
under the moon
庭前
鷄頭の十四五本もありぬべし
"teizen"
keitō no
jūshigohon mo
arinubeshi
"Before the Garden"
cockscombs...
must be 14,
or 15
いくたびも雪の深さを尋ねけり
ikutabi mo
yuki no fukasa o
tazunekeri
again and again
I ask how high
the snow is
雪ふるよ障子の穴を見てあれば
yuki furu yo
shōji no ana o
mite areba
snow's falling!
I see it through a hole
in the shutter...
雪の家に寢て居ると思ふばかりにて
yuki no ie ni
nete iru to omou
bakari ni te
all I can think of
is being sick in bed
and snowbound...
障子明けよ上野の雪を一目見ん
shōji ake yo
Ueno no yuki o
hitome min
open the shutter!
I'll just have a look
at Ueno's snow!
春雨や傘さして見る繪草紙屋
harusame ya
kasa sashite miru
ezōshiya
spring rain:
browsing under an umbrella
at the picture-book store
榎の實散る此頃うとし鄰の子
e no mi chiru
konogoro utoshi
tonari no ko
the nettle nuts are falling...
the little girls next door
don't visit me these days
しぐるゝや蒟蒻冷えて臍の上
shigururu ya
konnyaku hiete
heso no ue
it's drizzling...
devil's tongue, cold on
my belly button
鬚剃るや上野の鐘の霞む日に
hige soru ya
Ueno no kane no
kasumu hi ni
getting a shave!
on a day when Ueno's bell
is blurred by haze...
臥病十年
首あげて折々見るや庭の萩
"Gabyō Jūnen"
kubi agete
oriori miru ya
niwa no hagi
"Sick in Bed Ten Years"
lifting my head,
I look now and then—
the garden clover
餘命いくばくかある夜短し
yomei
ikubaku ka aru
yo mijikashi
how much longer
is my life?
a brief night...
こころみに君の御歌を吟ずれば堪へずや鬼の泣く聲聞ゆ
kokoromi ni
kimi no miuta o
ginzureba
taezu ya oni no
naku koe kikoyu
I tried to speak your poems
but I could not!
The weeping of the gods
fell upon my ears.
とばり垂れて君いまだ覺めずくれなゐの牡丹の花に朝日さすなり
tobari tarete
kimi imada samezu
kurenai no
botan no hana ni
asahi sasu nari
curtains drawn,
the emperor's love
still lies abed—
on crimson peonies,
the morning sun shines
楊貴妃の寐起顏なる牡丹哉
Yōkihi no
neokigao naru
botan kana
the peony seems
to think itself Yōkihi
as she awakes
縁先に玉卷く芭蕉玉解けて五尺のみどり手水鉢を掩ふ
ensaki ni
tama maku bashō
tama tokete
goshaku no midori
chōzubachi o ōu
the plaintain at the veranda's edge
unfolds its coiled leaves,
its jewels,
and veils the water basin
in five feet of green
病中對鏡
昔見し面影もあらずおとろへて鏡の人のほろほろと泣く
"Byōchū Taikyō"
mukashi mishi
omokage mo arazu
otoroete
kagami no hito no
horohoro to naku
"Invalid Facing Mirror"
The man
I used to meet in the mirror
is no more.
Now I see a wasted face.
It dribbles tears.
金州從軍中作
春寒み矛を枕に寐る夜半を古里の妹ぞ夢に見えつる
"Kinshū Jūgunchū Saku"
haru samumi
hoko o makura ni
neru yowa o
kori no imōto zo
yume ni mietsuru
"In China with the Army"
In the spring chill,
as I slept with sword by pillow,
deep at night
my little sister came to me
in dreams from home.
里を見て歸りし夜半の枕上菜の花咲く野目に見ゆるかも
sato o mite
kaerishi yowa no
makuragami
na no hana saku no
me ni miyuru kamo
saw the country
and returned—now deep at night
I lie in bed and
fields of mustard flowers
bloom before my eyes
うれしくも登りし不盡の頂に足わなゝきて夢さめんとす
ureshikumo
noborishi Fuji no
itadaki ni
ashi wananakite
yume samen to su
happily
I climbed Mt. Fuji and
as my legs trembled
on its peak
awoke
うたゝ寐のうたゝ苦しき夢さめて汗ふき居れば薔薇の花散る
utatane no
utata kurushiki
yume samete
ase fuki oreba
bara no hana chiru
wakened by pain
from a dream of pain
I wipe the sweat
and rose petals
scatter
一桶の水うちやめばほろほろと露のたま散る秋草の花
hitooke no
mizu uchiyameba
horohoro to
tsuyu no tama chiru
akikusa no hana
the bucket's water
poured out and gone,
drop by drop
dew drips like pearls
from the autumn flowers
久方のアメリカ人のはじめにしベールボールは見れど飽かぬかも
hisakata no
Amerikabito no
hajime ni shi
bēsubōru wa
miredo akanu kamo
far away
under the skies of America
they began
baseball—ah,
I could watch it forever!
上野山夕越え來れば森暗みけだもの吠ゆるけだものの園
Ueno yama
yū koekureba
mori kurami
kedamono hoyuru
kedamono no sono
as evening comes across
Ueno Hill
the woods grow dark and
wild beasts howl in
the wild beast garden
松の葉の細き葉毎におく露の千露もゆらに玉もこぼれず
matsu no ha no
hosoki hagoto ni
oku tsuyu no
chitsuyu mo yura ni
tama mo koborezu
on the pine needles,
each of the slender needles,
a dewdrop rests—
a thousand pearls lie
quivering, yet never fall
松の葉の葉さきを細み置く露のたまりもあへず白玉散るも
matsu no ha no
hasaki o hosomi
oku tsuyu no
tamari mo aezu
shiratama chiru mo
the tips of the pine
needles, so thin...
no sooner
does the dew collect
than white pearls scatter
松の葉の葉毎にむすぶ白露のおきてはこぼれこぼれてはおく
matsu no ha no
ha goto ni musubu
shiratsuyu no
okite wa kobore
koborete wa oku
to every needle
of the needled pine it clings—
the pearl white dew,
forming but to scatter,
scattering but to form
冬ごもる病の床のガラス戸の曇りぬぐへば足袋干せる見ゆ
fuyugomoru
yamai no toko no
garasudo no
kumori nugueba
tabi hoseru miyu
huddled up for winter
upon a bed of pain
I wipe the window
clear of frost and see
tabi, hung out for drying
五月七日（體温三十八度五分）
はしきやし少女に似たるくれなゐのボタンの蔭にうつうつ眠る
"Gogatsu nanuka (taion sanjūhachido gobu)"
hashikiyashi
otome ni nitaru
kurenai no
botan no kage ni
utsuutsu nemuru
"May 7 (temperature 38.5°)"
how like a lovely
young girl it is,
this peony of scarlet red
whose shadow shades
my fitful dreaming
藤の花長うして雨ふらんとす
fuji no hana
nagōshite ame
furan to su
wisteria plumes
sweep the earth, and soon
the rains will fall
黒きまでに紫深き葡萄かな
kuroki made ni
murasaki fukaki
budō kana
purple unto
blackness:
grapes!
くれなゐの二尺伸びたる薔薇の芽の針やはらかに春雨のふる
kurenai no
nishaku nobitaru
bara no me no
hari yawaraka ni
harusame no furu
two feet tall,
the crimson-budded roses,
their young thorns
tender in
the soft spring rain
病み臥せるわが枕邊に運びくる鉢の牡丹の花ゆれやまず
yami fuseru
waga makurabe ni
hakobikuru
hachi no botan no
hana yure yamazu
to where I lie,
sick upon my bed,
they brought for me
these potted peonies...
their petals' trembling never ends
病牀の我に露ちる思ひあり
byōshō no
ware ni tsuyu chiru
omoi ari
I thought I felt
a dewdrop on me
as I lay in bed
病む我をなぐさめがほに開きたる牡丹の花を見れば悲しも
yamu ware o
nagusamegao ni
hirakitaru
botan no hana o
mireba kanashi mo
as if to cheer me
on my bed of pain,
the peony spreads
its petals wide and
seeing this I grieve
まくらべに友なき時は鉢植の梅に向ひてひとり伏し居り
makurabe ni
tomonaki toki wa
hachiue no
ume ni mukaite
hitori fushi ori
when to my pillow
no friend comes
I lie alone,
turned to face
the potted plum
紅梅の散りぬ淋しき枕元
kōbai no
chirinu sabishiki
makura moto
crimson plum blossoms
scattered over the loneliness
of the bed...
紅梅の落花をつまむ疊哉
kōbai no
rakka o tsumamu
tatami kana
fallen petals of
the crimson plum I pluck
from the tatami
瓶にさす藤の花房みじかければたたみの上にとどかざりけり
kame ni sasu
fuji no hanabusa
mijikakereba
tatami no ue ni
todokazarikeri
wisteria
in the vase
so short
it doesn't touch
the floor
佐保神の別れかなしも來ん春にふたたび逢はんわれならなくに
Saogami no
wakare kanashi mo
kon haru ni
futatabi awan
ware naranaku ni
ah, sad to part
from Lady Sao...
in the spring to come
it will not be me
who meets her again
いちはつの花咲きいでて我目には今年ばかりの春行かんとす
ichihatsu no
hana saki-idete
waga me ni wa
kotoshi bakari no
haru yukan to su
the wall iris
opens its buds:
before my eyes
the last spring
begins to fade
夕顏の棚つくらんと思へども秋待ちがてぬ我いのちかも
yūgao no
tana tsukuran to
omoedomo
aki machigatenu
waga inochi kamo
I dream of making
a trellis for moonflowers
to climb,
but oh my life, that will not
bear the wait till autumn!
絲瓜咲て痰のつまりし佛かな
hechima saite
tan no tsumarishi
hotoke kana
the gourd flowers bloom,
but look—here lies
a phlegm-stuffed Buddha!
痰一斗絲瓜の水も間に合はず
tan itto
hechima no mizu mo
ma ni awazu
a quart of phlegm—
even gourd water
couldn't mop it up
をとゝひのへちまの水も取らざりき
ototoi no
hechima no mizu mo
torazariki
they didn't gather
gourd water
day before yesterday either
ごて／＼と草花植し小庭かな
gotegote to
kusabana ueshi
koniwa kana
a jumble of
flowers planted—
see, the little garden!
瓶にさす藤の花ぶさ一ふさはかさねし書の上に垂れたり
kame ni sasu
fuji no hanabusa
hitofusa wa
kasaneshi fumi no
ue ni taretari
wisteria
in the vase—
one plume hangs down,
brushing
a pile of books
藤なみの花をし見れば奈良のみかど京のみかどの昔こひしも
fuji nami no
hana o shi mireba
Nara no mikado
Kyō no mikado no
mukashi koishi mo
I see the wisteria
that moves like waves
and longings rise
for Nara and Kyoto,
the ancient courtly days
藤なみの花をし見れば紫の繪の具取り出で寫さんと思ふ
fuji nami no
hana o shi mireba
murasaki no
e no gu tori-ide
utsusan to omou
I see the wisteria
that moves like waves
and think to take up
the purple paint
and sketch its likeness
藤なみの花のむらさき繪にかかばこき紫にかくべかりけり
fuji nami no
hana no murasaki
e ni kakeba
koki murasaki ni
kakubekarikeri
the purple of the wisteria
that moves like waves,
if made into a painting,
would have to be
a deep, deep purple
瓶にさす藤の花ぶさ花垂れて病の牀に春暮れんとす
kame ni sasu
fuji no hanabusa
hana tarete
yamai no toko ni
haru kuren to su
wisteria
in the vase
trails its plumes—
at my sickbed, spring is
drawing to its close
去年の春龜戸に藤を見しことを今藤を見て思ひ出でつも
kozo no haru
Kamedo ni fuji o
mishi koto o
ima fuji o mite
omoi idetsumo
last spring
I saw wisteria
at Kamedo—seeing
the wisteria now
brings it to mind
くれなゐの牡丹の花にさきだちて藤の紫咲きいでにけり
kurenai no
botan no hana ni
sakidachite
fuji no murasaki
saki-ide ni keri
showing the way
to the crimson peonies,
the purple of
the wisteria
has come into bloom
この藤は早く咲きたり龜戸の藤咲かまくは十日まり後
kono fuji wa
hayaku sakitari
Kameido no
fuji sakamaku wa
tōka mari nochi
these wisteria
have bloomed early...
the blossoming of
those at Kameido will be
more than ten days later
八入折の酒にひたせばしをれたる藤なみの花よみがへり咲く
Yashiōri no
sake ni hitaseba
shioretaru
fuji nami no hana
yomigaeri saku
if soaked in
Yashiōri wine,
withered
wisteria flowers
will revive and bloom again
絲瓜さへ佛になるぞ後るゝな
hechima sae
hotoke ni naru zo
okururu na
hey!—even snake gourds
become Buddhas—
don't get caught behind!
成佛ヤ夕顏ノ顔ヘチマノ屁
jōbutsu ya
yūgao no kao
hechima no he
Buddha-death:
the moonflower's face,
the snake gourd's fart
病牀の財布も秋の錦かな
byōshō no
saifu mo aki no
nishiki kana
the wallet
by the bed is my
autumn brocade
栗飯ヤ病人ナガラ大食ヒ
kurimeshi ya
byōnin nagara
ōkurai
chestnut rice—
though a sick man,
still a glutton
カブリツク熟柿ヤ髯ヲ汚シケリ
kaburitsuku
jukushi ya hige o
yogoshikeri
I sink my teeth
into a ripe persimmon—
it dribbles down my beard
驚くや夕顏落ちし夜半の音
odoroku ya
yūgao ochishi
yowa no oto
surprise!
a moonflower fell—
midnight sound
世の中は常なきものと我愛づる山吹の花散りにけるかも
yo no naka wa
tsunenaki mono to
waga mezuru
yamabuki no hana
chirinikeru kamo
thinking how soon
all in this world passes
I loved
the yellow roses
that now have scattered
別れ行く春のかたみと藤波の花の長ふさ繪にかけるかも
wakareyuku
haru no katami to
fujinami no
hana no nagafusa
e ni kakeru kamo
in memory of
the spring now passing
I drew
the long clusters of wisteria
that move like waves
くれなゐの薔薇ふふみぬ我病いやまさるべき時のしるしに
kurenai no
ubara fufuminu
waga yamai
iyamasarubeki
toki no shirushi ni
the crimson roses
have come into bud—
omen of the time
when my illness
will grow worse
薩摩下駄足にとりはき杖つきて萩の芽摘みし昔おもほゆ
Satsuma geta
ashi ni torihaki
tsue tsukite
hagi no me tsumishi
mukashi omōyu
I remember plucking
buds of bush clover
long ago with
Satsuma geta on my feet and
a walking stick in my hand
若松の芽だちの緑長き日を夕かたまけて熱いでにけり
wakamatsu no
medachi no midori
nagaki hi wo
yūkata makete
netsu idenikeri
the green of the young
pine seedlings...
as the long day
succumbs to night
my fever rises
いたづきの癒ゆる日知らにさ庭べに秋草花の種を蒔かしむ
itatsuki no
iyuru hi shirani
saniwabe ni
akikusabana no
tane o makashimu
I do not know the day
my pain will end yet
in the little garden
I had them plant
seeds of autumn flowers
| (Selected Poems of Masaoka Shiki, Translated by Janine Beichman) | |