Lament for Prince Kusakabe

In the beginning of heaven and earth

on the riverbanks of celestial heaven,
the eight hundred myriad, thousand myriad gods,
when in divine assembly they assembled
and in divine decision they decided
that the heaven-shining sun-woman sovereign
would reign and rule in heaven
and that in the land of rice and reed plains,
until heaven and earth came to a close,
the divine sovereign was to reign and rule,
they opened the eightfold heavenly clouds
and in divine descent sent down
the high-shining sun prince,
who in the palace of Kiyomi in Asuka,
being divine, firmly ruled and decreed
that the land would be ruled by the heavenly lords,
then opened the stone gates to the heavenly plain,
and in divine ascent has ascended.
Our great lord the sovereign prince,
the realm he is to reign and rule beneath heaven,
may it flourish nobly like the spring blossoms,
may it wax great like the full moon,
thus the people of the four corners beneath heaven
hope for his reign as if for a great ship
and wait in awe as for water from heaven
— but what designs are in his mind? —
on Mayumi Hill, where he has no destiny,
he firmly builds the palace pillars,
he raises high the sacred hall
and does not speak his morning words.
Now many days and months have passed
and that is why the prince's courtiers
do not know where to go.

Two Envoys

As though looking up at celestial heaven

we looked up in awe at the prince's palace
and now we grieve at its abandonment.

Although the striking red sun shines,

the moon crosses the black jewel night
and we grieve at its concealment. In another text, the second poem is the envoy to a poem from
the time of the temporary burial palace of another sovereign prince.

Poems on the Death of His Wife

On the road to Karu, that soars in heaven,

was the village where my girl lived,
and I wanted to visit her with all my heart,
but if I went too often, too many would see,
and if I went many times, too many would know,
so we parted like vines that meet again
or so I hoped, as if for a great ship,
and to a pool surrounded by gem-gleaming rocks
I retreated, but as I longed for her,
like the sky-crossing sun sets in the evening,
like the light of the moon is obscured by the clouds,
my girl, who like the deep seaweed had slept beside me,
had passed away like the autumn leaves,
so said the messenger of the catalpa gem,
and as I heard his voice like a catalpa bow,
I knew not what to say or what to do,
but since I could not bear to hear the words,
and thinking there must be a way to find solace
for just a single part of my thousandfold longing,
I went where my girl always used to go,
to Karu Market, and stood there and listened,
but on Mount Unebi of the cords of gems
I could not hear the voices of the birds,
and of the people walking on the road
not a single one resembled my girl,
and all I could do was call out her name
as I waved my sleeves.
Two Short Poems

I search for my girl who has lost her way

in the thick yellow leaves of the autumn hill
but do not know the mountain path.

As the yellow leaves scatter and fall,

when I see a messenger of the catalpa gem
I think of the days when we met.

Author of original: 

Kakinomoto no Hitomaro

Izvor: https://www.poetrynook.com/