Help with poem translation

[BIG]

Hokusai print..KOGARASUMARU

 

https://www.amazon.d...e/dp/B08153JNCW?th=1

 

Best

[BIG]

Found a German translation:

 

Auf den Gipfeln der Berge,

die im Schmucke der Frühlingsblüten prangen,

sammeln sich in der Morgendämmerung die jungen Raben.

 

On the mountain peaks,

flaunting in the jewelry of the spring blossoms,

the young ravens meet in the morning dawn.

 

pun: Genji = young raven

 

hope Im right..

 

[SteveM]

I have been trying to decipher this, but it is proving elusive

 

 

志ののめ能

暮囗の

囗やうの

囗囗き

霞の囗爾

むるる小烏

 

The beginning and ending is close to your translation, but in slightly different order due to Japanese syntax.

In the morning dawn

and

The little crows gather

 

The title of the piece is: "The Four Great Clans of Japan: The Minamoto" as if to indicate this is one of a series. The kanji for Minamoto is 源, which is alternatively pronounced "Gen" (as in The House of Genji"). So there should be some allusion to this clan in the poem, but I can't get enough to figure it out. The sword may just be a regular tachi (and not intended to be kogarasu-maru), because the kogarasu-maru is associated with the Taira clan (the rivals to the Minamoto). But here too, there may be some wordplay that I am missing. 

[k morita]

Hi,
The Waka-poem:
しののめの帯の模様のかるゝとき霞の庭に群るゝ小烏

(Free translation).
As the dawn sky gradually brightens from the east, young crows gather together in the hazy garden.

[Bugyotsuji]

Just wondering if there could be some connection….(Towards the end of the first long paragraph?)

 

 

[Baka Gaijin]

Here's another example from the Surimono set "Shisei no Uchi"

 

Its format is Shikishiban (Roughly Square) 8 x 9 inches and often laid onto card.

 

As its a Surimono set, examples are not going to be easy to source, due to the relativly low number of Surimono printed.

 

Here however is another from the series:

 

and another:

 

 

 

[BIG]

Thanks Malcolm, we need more translations, Steve and Morita san please help us out !!

 

Best Peter

[SteveM]

I am cheating with the second one (the armor), because a transcription is already available on the internet.

The armor print represents the Tachibana clan.

 

床にさく梅ハかふとの鉢うゑにかさる鎧の裡もかをれり

Something like: The plums that bloom in the flower pot, impart their scent, to the lining of the armor draped over it. 

 

The third one (jewel print) represents the Fuji (Fujiwara) clan. The print posted above must be a later reproduction, because it is missing the info indicating it is for the Fuji clan, and it is also missing a second poem on the left. Here is the original. These will take a bit of brain power that I might not have. The first poem is about the "first dream" (初夢). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BIG]

The last one

 

https://www.artnet.c...1oNWiq95eYgt8SUIySA2

 

 

[SteveM]

I don't think that one is from the same series. Its from the same time, but it isn't one of the "Four Great Clans" series. It looks like its mislabeled. The last one should be a print depicting something representing the Taira clan, and it should have the same red cartouche device with the same/similar words as 四姓ノ内 with the word 平 (Taira) in it somewhere. I looked for it today, but I couldn't find it. There are a lot of mislabeled prints in various online collections. We've got Minamoto, Fujiwara, and Tachibana. Just missing Taira. 

 

And I was wrong about the sword in the first print (Minamoto). It is indeed supposed to be the Kogarasu-maru (it says so on the print).