All translations contained in this section were drawn from the following two standard texts (see references for the section on The Tales of Ise: Keene, Donald ed. Anthology of Japanese Literature and Bownas, Geoffrey et.al. The Penquin Book of Japanese Verse

A complete translation of the Kokin Wakashu by Helen McCullough is well worth your time 

for its excellent translator notes See 

McCullough, Helen tr. Kokin Wakashu:The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry (Stanford, 1985)>

KI NO TSURAYUKI紀貫之 （８６８―９４５）COMPILER AND EDITOR, POET WRITER OF PREFACE 1100 POEMS,MAINLY TANKA (5-7-5-7-7)

MAIN POINTS:

        PREFACE: FIRST PIECE OF LITERARY CRITICISM IN JAPANESE
	KOKORO (HEART) 心 AND KOTOBA (WORDS) 言葉
	AFFECTIVE AND EFFECTIVE BALANCE
	CANONIZATION OF APPROPRIATE SUBJECTS IN TWENTY BOOKS:

1. 2SPRING春、３SUMMER夏、4-5FALL秋、6WINTER冬、7CONGRATULATION賀、 8PARTING離別、

   9TRAVELき旅、10ACROSTICS物の名、11-15LOVE恋、16LAMENT哀傷、 17-18MISCELLANEOUS雑、

   19MISC.PROSODY雑体、20SHINTO大歌処

   ---

   　

   LITERARINESS:

   
   	MIYABI雅OR COURTLINESS
   	BALANCE OF HEART AND WORDS
   	POETIC CONCEITS:IS WHAT I SEE TRUE?
        	IS WHAT IS FEEL MORE TRUE?
   	EQUAL IMPORTANCE OF DREAM（YUME夢）WITH REALITY (UTSUTSU現)
   	PRIMACY OF PASSION (NASAKE情)
   	RHETORICAL DEVICES: PIVOT WORD (KAKEKOTOBA 掛け言葉)、
              ASSOCIATED WORD (ENGO縁語)、
   	PREFACE (JO序)、ETC.
   

   ---

   PERIODIZATION:

   
   
   I.)  ANONYMOUS (YOMIBITOSHIRAZU読み人知らず) 750-820 A.D.
   
   II.)  SIX POETIC SAINTS (ROKKASEN六歌仙) 820-880 A.D.
   
   III.)  COMPILERS (HENSHUSHA TOJI編集者当時) 880-905 A.D.
   

   ---

   SAMPLE POEMS: ANONYMOUS PERIOD

   
   
   	KKS I:17 SPRING (BOWNAS79)
   	Grass of Kasuga Moor - 			KASUGA NO WA
   	Do not burn it, this one day;		KYOO WA NA YAKI SO
   	My wife, tender as young leaves,	WAKAKUSA NO
   	And I lie there together.		TSUMA MO KOMORERI
   						WARE MO KOMORERI.

   春日野は

   今日はな焼きそ

   若草の

   つまもこもれり

   我もこもれり（Ise m. 12)

	KKS III:139 SUMMER (BOWNAS80)
	I smell the smell			SATSUKI MATSU
	Of the orange-flowers			HANATACHIBANA NO
	That wait till May to bloom.		KA WO KAGEBA
	And I picture a friend's sleeve		MUKASHI NO HITO NO
	A friend I knew so well.		SODE NO KA ZO SURU.

	五月まつ

	花橘の

	香をかげば

	昔の人の

	袖の香ぞする　（Ise m. 60)

	KKS VII:343 CONGRATULATION AND PRAISE(BOWNAS 80)
	May our friend endure			KIMI GA YO GA
	A thousand, eight thousand ages:	CHIYO NI YACHIYO NI
	Till the smallest pebble grows		SAZARE ISHI NO
	To a boulder etched with moss.		IWAO TO NARITE
						KOKE NO MUSU MADE.

	君が代は

	千代に八千代に

	細れ石の

	いわほとなりて

	苔もむすまで

	KKS XVIII:933 MISCELLANEOUS (BOWNAS 80)
	In this world is there			YO NO NAKA WA
	One thing constant?			NANI KA TSUNE NARU
	Yesterday's depths			ASUKAGAWA
	In Asuka River				KINOO NO FUCHI ZO
	Today are but shallows.			KYOO NO SE NI NARU.

	世の中は

	なにか常なる

	あすか川

	昨日の淵ぞ

	今日は瀬になる

	KKS IX:409 TRAVEL (ATTRIBUTED TO HITOMARO) (BOWNAS 81)
	Dimly in the dawn mist			HONOBONO TO
	Of the bay of Akashi			AKASHI NO URA NO
	Hidden by islands			ASAGIRI NI
	I dream of a boat.			SHIMAGAKUREYUKU
						FUNE SHI ZO OMOU.

	ほのぼのと

	あかしの浦の

	朝霧に

	島隠れゆく

	舟をしぞ思ふ

SAMPLE POEMS: SIX POETIC SAINTS

KKS XV: 747 LOVE (ARIWARA NO NARIHIRA) (BOWNAS 71)
Can it be that the moon has changed? TSUKI YA ARANU
Can it be that the spring HARU YA MUKASHI NO
Is not the spring of old times? HARU NARANU
Is it my body alone WAGA MI HITOTSU WA
That is just the same? MOTO NO MI NI SHITE.

月やあらぬ

春や昔の

春ならぬ

わが身ほとつは

もとの身にして (Ise m. 4)

KKS IV: 226 FALL (BISHOP HENJO) (BOWNAS 77)
In fondness for your name alone NA NI MEDETE
I plucked at your stem ORERU BAKARI ZO
O maiden flower. OMINAESHI
Do not tell men WARE OCHI NI KI TO
That this was my fall. HITO NI KATARU NA.

名にめでて

折れるばかりぞ

女郎花

我おちにきと

人にかたるな

KKS V: 250 FALL (BUNYA YASUHIDE) (BOWNAS 85)
The grass and trees KUSA MO KI MO
Change their colors; IRO KAWAREDOMO
But to the wave-blooms WATATSUMI NO
On the broad sea-plain NAMI NO HANA NI ZO
There comes no autumn. AKI NAKARIKERU.

草も木も

色かはれども

わたつうみの

波の花にぞ

秋なかりける

KKS II: 113 SPRING (ONO NO KOMACHI) (BOWNAS 84, KEENE 81)
The luster of the flowers HANA NO IRO WA
Has faded and passed, UTSURI NI KERI NA
While on idle things ITAZURA NI
I have spent my body WAGA MI YO NI FURU
In the world's long rains. NAGAME SESHI MA NI.

花の色は

移りにけりな

いたづらに

わが身よにふる

ながめせしまに


KKS XII: 552 LOVE (ONO NO KOMACHI) (BOWNAS 84) (KEENE 78)
Was it that I went to sleep OMOI TSUTSU
Thinking of him, NUREBA YA HITO NO
That he came in my dreams? MIETSURAMU
Had I known it a dream YUME TO SHIRISEBA
I should not have awakened. SAMEZARAMASHI WO.

思ひつつ

寝ればや人の

見えつらむ

夢と知りせば

覚めざらましを

KKS XIX: 1030 MISCELLANEOUS PROSODY (ONO NO KOMACHI) (KEENE 78)
This night of no moon HITO NI AWAMU
There is no way to meet him. TSUKI NO NAKI YO WA
I rise in longing OMOI OKITE
My breast pounds, a leaping flame MUNE HASHIRIBI NI
My heart is consumed by fire. KOKORO YAKEORI.

人に逢はむ

つきのなき夜は

思ひおきて

胸走り火に

心焼けをり

SAMPLE POEMS: PERIOD OF COMPILERS

KKS I: 42 SPRING (KI NO TSURAYUKI) (BOWNAS 82)
Now, I cannot tell HITO WA ISA
What my old friend is thinking: KOKORO MO SHIRAZU
But the petals of the plum FURUSATO WA
In this place I used to know HANA ZO MUKASHI NO
Keep their old fragrance. KA NI NIOI KERU.

ひとはいさ

心もしらず

ふるさとは

花ぞ昔の

香ににほひける

WINTER (KI NO TSURAYUKI) (BOWNAS 83)
When I went to visit OMOIKANE
The girl I love so much IMOGARI YUKEBA
That winter night, FUYU NO YO NO
The river blew so cold KAWAKAZE SAMUMI
That the plovers were crying. CHIDORI NAKU NARI.

おもひかね

妹がりゆけば

冬の夜の

川風寒み

千鳥なくなり