70 Japanese Poems with English Translations

Full public-domain text · The cited library, museum or scholarly publication record verifies the pre-1930 appearance of this complete poem; the author died more than seventy years ago.

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— Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694), Kawazu Awase (1686)

A small sound makes the surrounding stillness perceptible. The museum's manuscript spelling is retained; the reading supplies the conventional inflection of 飛込.

Full public-domain text · The cited library, museum or scholarly publication record verifies the pre-1930 appearance of this complete poem; the author died more than seventy years ago.

Easy

— Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694), Oku no Hosomichi (1702)

At Hiraizumi, vigorous summer plants occupy a place once shaped by military ambition. The poem mourns transience without describing a battle.

Full public-domain text · The cited library, museum or scholarly publication record verifies the pre-1930 appearance of this complete poem; the author died more than seventy years ago.

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— Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694), Oku no Hosomichi (1702)

Sound and stillness coexist at the mountain temple of Risshakuji. The middle phrase asks the reader to imagine sound entering solid stone.

Full public-domain text · The cited library, museum or scholarly publication record verifies the pre-1930 appearance of this complete poem; the author died more than seventy years ago.

Easy

— Yosa Buson (1716–1784 (Gregorian calendar)), Buson Kushū (1784)

The repeated notari gives the water an unhurried motion. Hinemosu means throughout the day, rather than at sunset.

Full public-domain text · The cited library, museum or scholarly publication record verifies the pre-1930 appearance of this complete poem; the author died more than seventy years ago.

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— Yosa Buson (1716–1784 (Gregorian calendar)), Buson Kushū (1784)

The small scale of shore and shells matches the lightness of the rain. Koiso describes a small rocky stretch of coast.

Full public-domain text · The cited library, museum or scholarly publication record verifies the pre-1930 appearance of this complete poem; the author died more than seventy years ago.

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— Yosa Buson (1716–1784 (Gregorian calendar)), Buson Kushū (1784)

Two directions frame one field at dusk. Na no hana names yellow flowering brassicas, often translated as rapeseed or mustard flowers.

Full public-domain text · The cited library, museum or scholarly publication record verifies the pre-1930 appearance of this complete poem; the author died more than seventy years ago.

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— Yosa Buson (1716–1784 (Gregorian calendar)), Buson Kushū (1784)

The seasonal rain is the old-calendar fifth-month rain. Two small houses face an expanse of water; the poem does not say they are destroyed.

Full public-domain text · The cited library, museum or scholarly publication record verifies the pre-1930 appearance of this complete poem; the author died more than seventy years ago. Issa died in January 1828 by the Gregorian calendar, corresponding to 1827 in the historical Japanese calendar.

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— Kobayashi Issa (1763–1828 (Gregorian calendar)), Oraga Haru (1852)

Oraga is a familiar, regional way to say my or our. Historical ちう represents chū; the modest celebration resists a grand festive pose.

Full public-domain text · The cited library, museum or scholarly publication record verifies the pre-1930 appearance of this complete poem; the author died more than seventy years ago. Issa died in January 1828 by the Gregorian calendar, corresponding to 1827 in the historical Japanese calendar.

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— Kobayashi Issa (1763–1828 (Gregorian calendar)), Oraga Haru (1852)

Written in the context of the death of Issa's small daughter, the unfinished turn resists easy consolation. Knowing that life is fleeting does not end grief.

Full public-domain text · The cited library, museum or scholarly publication record verifies the pre-1930 appearance of this complete poem; the author died more than seventy years ago.

Easy

— Masaoka Shiki (1867–1902), Newspaper publication, November 8, 1895

Taste and sound meet in one autumn moment. The bell is heard while eating; the poem does not claim that the persimmon causes the bell to ring.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 770.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Abe no Nakamaro (698–770), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 7; Kokin Wakashū, poem 406

A moon seen abroad recalls the speaker's Japanese home.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Kisen Hōshi (Active in the 9th century; dates uncertain), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 8; Kokin Wakashū, poem 983

Uji becomes wordplay with ushi, the feeling of sorrow or weariness with life.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Ono no Komachi (Active in the 9th century; dates uncertain), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 9; Kokin Wakashū, poem 113

Rain, gazing and passing years overlap in the poem's wordplay; the translation keeps the changing flowers central.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Semimaru (Dates uncertain; traditionally 10th century), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 10; Gosen Wakashū, poem 1089

Ōsaka here names the historical barrier near Kyoto, not modern Osaka city.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 853.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Ono no Takamura (802–853), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 11; Kokin Wakashū, poem 407

The voice sends a message back from a voyage associated with exile.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Ōe no Chisato (Active in the late 9th–early 10th centuries), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 23; Kokin Wakashū, poem 193

A shared season becomes a private experience of sadness.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 939.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Minamoto no Muneyuki (Died 939; birth date uncertain), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 28; Kokin Wakashū, poem 315

Kare links withering plants with the absence of human company.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 945.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Ki no Tsurayuki (c. 872–945), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 35; Kokin Wakashū, poem 42

The unchanged scent is set against uncertainty about whether people have changed.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Egyō Hōshi (Active in the 10th century), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 47; Shūi Wakashū, poem 140

The season becomes the visitor that human company has failed to provide.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Kakinomoto no Hitomaro (Active in the late 7th and early 8th centuries), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 3; Shūi Wakashū, poem 778

The long bird's tail becomes a measure of the speaker's lonely night.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 949.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Emperor Yōzei (868–949), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 13; Gosen Wakashū, poem 776

A small mountain stream growing into deeper water measures accumulating love.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 895.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Minamoto no Tōru (822–895), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 14; Kokin Wakashū, poem 724

The place-name and patterned cloth provide language for a lover's disturbed feelings.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 887.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Emperor Kōkō (830–887), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 15; Kokin Wakashū, poem 21

A small gift and the effort of gathering it express care for the recipient.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Fujiwara no Toshiyuki (Died c. 901; birth date uncertain), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 18; Kokin Wakashū, poem 559

Yoru connects waves drawing near with night; the absent lover does not arrive even in dreams.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Ise (c. 875–c. 938), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 19; Shin Kokin Wakashū, poem 1049

The tiny interval in a reed becomes the smallest imaginable meeting.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 943.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Prince Motoyoshi (890–943), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 20; Gosen Wakashū, poem 961

Miotsukushi evokes both a channel marker and giving all of oneself.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Sosei Hōshi (Active in the 9th–10th centuries), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 21; Kokin Wakashū, poem 691

A promised visit turns into a night of waiting.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 932.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Fujiwara no Sadakata (873–932), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 25; Gosen Wakashū, poem 701

The vine's name and the place-name help create a concealed invitation.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 933.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Fujiwara no Kanesuke (877–933), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 27; Shin Kokin Wakashū, poem 996

Itsu miki, “when did I see,” echoes the river's name in a question about longing.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Mibu no Tadamine (Active in the late 9th–early 10th centuries), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 30; Kokin Wakashū, poem 625

The recurring hour of separation becomes emotionally charged.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Ukon (Active in the 10th century), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 38; Shūi Wakashū, poem 870

The abandoned speaker invokes the danger believed to attend a broken oath.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 951.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Minamoto no Hitoshi (880–951), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 39; Gosen Wakashū, poem 578

Shinohara and shinobu link the landscape to a feeling that cannot stay concealed.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 990.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Taira no Kanemori (Died 990; birth date uncertain), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 40; Shūi Wakashū, poem 622

Concealed love becomes publicly visible through the speaker's expression.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Mibu no Tadami (Active in the 10th century), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 41; Shūi Wakashū, poem 621

A private beginning is overtaken by public rumor; tefu is read chō.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 990.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Kiyohara no Motosuke (908–990), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 42; Goshūi Wakashū, poem 770

The mountain's proverbial protection from waves becomes a measure for a promise now questioned.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 943.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Fujiwara no Atsutada (906–943), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 43; Shūi Wakashū, poem 710

Meeting the beloved transforms the speaker's understanding of earlier desire.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 966.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Fujiwara no Asatada (910–966), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 44; Shūi Wakashū, poem 678

The speaker imagines never meeting as a way of escaping the pain that followed.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 972.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Fujiwara no Koremasa (924–972), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 45; Shūi Wakashū, poem 950

An isolated poetic speaker anticipates being unmourned; this is a dramatic expression of loneliness.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Sone no Yoshitada (Active in the 10th century), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 46; Shin Kokin Wakashū, poem 1071

A drifting boat supplies the image for a lover who cannot direct events.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Minamoto no Shigeyuki (Died c. 1000; birth date uncertain), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 48; Shika Wakashū, poem 210

The unyielding rock and breaking waves reflect an unequal emotional encounter.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 991.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu (921–991), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 49; Shika Wakashū, poem 224

The cycle of a watchfire becomes the rhythm of private yearning.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 974.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Fujiwara no Yoshitaka (954–974), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 50; Goshūi Wakashū, poem 669

Love changes the speaker's wish from sacrifice to a longer shared life.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 998.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Fujiwara no Sanekata (Died 998; birth date uncertain), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 51; Goshūi Wakashū, poem 612

The grass used for burning moxa becomes an image of hidden passion.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 994.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Fujiwara no Michinobu (972–994), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 52; Goshūi Wakashū, poem 672

Knowledge that night will return does not lessen the immediate pain of parting.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 995.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— The Mother of Michitsuna (c. 936–995), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 53; Shūi Wakashū, poem 912

A direct question asks the absent partner to recognize the experience of waiting.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 996.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Takashina no Kishi (Died 996; birth date uncertain), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 54; Shin Kokin Wakashū, poem 1149

The poem's intense wish expresses fear that present love cannot remain unchanged.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Izumi Shikibu (Born c. 976; death date uncertain), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 56; Goshūi Wakashū, poem 763

The speaker imagines a final meeting as something to retain beyond life.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Daini no Sanmi (Born 999; death date uncertain), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 58; Goshūi Wakashū, poem 709

Soyo imitates the grass's rustle and also turns the reply into an emphatic reassurance.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Akazome Emon (Born c. 956; death date uncertain), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 59; Goshūi Wakashū, poem 680

The moon's movement records a wasted vigil for someone who did not come.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 893.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Ariwara no Yukihira (818–893), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 16; Kokin Wakashū, poem 365

Matsu means both pine and wait, making the farewell a promise of return.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Fujiwara no Okikaze (Active in the early 10th century), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 34; Kokin Wakashū, poem 909

The long-lived pine emphasizes the speaker's lack of surviving companions.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Murasaki Shikibu (Born c. 973; death date uncertain), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 57; Shin Kokin Wakashū, poem 1497

A fleeting reunion with an old acquaintance is compared with a briefly visible moon.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 672.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Emperor Tenji (626–672), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 1; Gosen Wakashū, poem 302

The humble field shelter creates an image of exposure and autumn labor; the anthology's traditional attribution is retained.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 703.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Empress Jitō (645–703), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 2; Shin Kokin Wakashū, poem 175

Drying white clothes mark the change of season; tefu is conventionally read chō.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Yamabe no Akahito (Active in the 8th century), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 4; Shin Kokin Wakashū, poem 675

The anthology transmits a version of a landscape poem also known from the Manyōshū.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Sarumaru Dayū (Dates uncertain; traditionally early Heian period), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 5; Kokin Wakashū, poem 215

The deer's cry supplies the emotional focus; little is securely known about the attributed poet.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 785.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Ōtomo no Yakamochi (718–785), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 6; Shin Kokin Wakashū, poem 620

The magpie bridge carries a celestial association; the anthology attributes the poem to Yakamochi.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 890.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Henjō (816–890), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 12; Kokin Wakashū, poem 872

The dancers are imagined as heavenly maidens whose departure the speaker wishes to delay.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 880.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Ariwara no Narihira (825–880), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 17; Kokin Wakashū, poem 294

Autumn leaves color the river; the poem describes them as a dyeing pattern.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Fun'ya no Yasuhide (Active in the 9th century), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 22; Kokin Wakashū, poem 249

The poem plays on the written character for storm, formed from mountain and wind.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 903.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Sugawara no Michizane (845–903), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 24; Kokin Wakashū, poem 420

The natural landscape substitutes for the customary offering.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 949.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Fujiwara no Tadahira (880–949), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 26; Shūi Wakashū, poem 1128

The leaves are addressed as if they could postpone falling.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Ōshikōchi no Mitsune (Active in the late 9th–early 10th centuries), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 29; Kokin Wakashū, poem 277

Frost and petals merge into the same pale surface.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Sakanoue no Korenori (Active in the early 10th century), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 31; Kokin Wakashū, poem 332

The poem turns a mistaken first impression into a winter scene.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 920.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Harumichi no Tsuraki (Died 920; birth date uncertain), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 32; Kokin Wakashū, poem 303

Gathered leaves resemble a woven barrier in the water.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Ki no Tomonori (c. 845–c. 907), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 33; Kokin Wakashū, poem 84

The stillness of the day contrasts with restless falling petals.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Kiyohara no Fukayabu (Active in the early 10th century), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 36; Kokin Wakashū, poem 166

The short summer night is imagined as leaving the moon nowhere to stay.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The exact death year is uncertain; the attribution belongs to a poet of the seventh to eleventh centuries, securely before 1956. No exact death year is invented.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Fun'ya no Asayasu (Active in the late 9th–early 10th centuries), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 37; Gosen Wakashū, poem 308

Dewdrops are imagined as loose beads falling from an unstrung necklace.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 1041.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Fujiwara no Kintō (966–1041), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 55; Senzai Wakashū, poem 1035

A vanished waterfall survives through reputation and remembered language.

Full public-domain text · This complete classical poem appears in the medieval Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and in the explicitly dated 1909 Porter edition. 1909 is a verified printed witness, not a claim of first publication. The named poet died in 1025.

Classical literary Japanese; not a model for ordinary modern conversation.

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— Koshikibu no Naishi (c. 999–1025), Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, poem 60; Kin’yō Wakashū, poem 586

Fumi means both a letter and stepping; the witty reply rejects a suggestion that her mother supplied her poems.