Poem in the Man'yōshū (MYS IV: 687) by Ōtomo of Sakanoue, date 8th century

Source:

http://www.wakapoetry.net/mys-iv-687/

The poem:

うつくしと我が思ふ心速川の塞きに塞くともなほや崩えなむ

Romaji transliteration (in reconstructed Old Japanese):

urupasi tö

a ga omopu kökörö

payakapa nö

seki ni seku tömo

napo ya kuenamu

English translation:

How fine you are!

So thinks my heart

In a rushing torrent

And though I dam it up,

Soon, 'tis sure to burst.

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Poem in the Man'yōshū (MYS IV: 686) by Ōtomo of Sakanoue, date 8th century

Source:

http://www.wakapoetry.net/mys-iv-686/

The poem:

このころは千年や行きも過ぎぬると我れやしか思ふ見まく欲りかも

Romaji transliteration (in reconstructed Old Japanese):

könö körö pa

titose ya yuki mo

suginuru tö

ware ya sika omopu

mimaku pori ka mo

English translation:

Recently

A thousand years or more

Had passed –

Or so I thought;

Perhaps because I long to see you.

Poem in the Man'yōshū (MYS IV: 685) by Ōtomo of Sakanoue, date 8th century

Source:

http://www.wakapoetry.net/mys-iv-685/

The poem:

人言を繁みか君が二鞘の家を隔てて戀ひつつまさむ

Romaji transliteration (in reconstructed Old Japanese):

pitögötö wo

sigëmi ka kimi ga

puta saya nö

ipe wo pedatete

kopitutu masamu

English translation:

Is it people’s talk

So lush – that you,

The twin-scabbard

Of your house a hindrance,

Must yearn for me?

Poem in the Man'yōshū (MYS IV: 684) by Ōtomo of Sakanoue, date 8th century

Source:

http://www.wakapoetry.net/mys-iv-684/

The poem:

今は我は死なむよ我が背生けりとも我れに依るべしと言ふといはなくに

Romaji transliteration (in reconstructed Old Japanese):

ima pa a pa

sinamu yo wa ga se

ikeri tö mo

ware ni yörubësi

tö ipu tö ipanakuni

English translation:

Now, I will

Indeed, die, my love;

For if I lived,

Would you cleave to me?

There’s no word of it

Poem in the Man'yōshū (MYS IV: 683) by Lady Ōtomo of Sakanoue, date 8th century

Source:

http://www.wakapoetry.net/mys-iv-683/

The poem:

言ふ言の畏き國ぞ紅の色にな出でそ思ひ死ぬとも

Romaji transliteration (in reconstructed Old Japanese):

ipu kötö nö

Kasikoki kuni zö

Kurenawi nö

Iro ni na ide sö

Omopi sinu tö mo

English translation:

What is said

Brings dread, in this land:

In scarlet

Colours, don't go out,

Die from your desire though you might.

"Song of Sorrow", a poem by Princess Xijun of Jiangdu and Wusun, written in the 2nd century B.C.

Source:

Kern, Martin (2004). "The Poetry of Han Historiography". Early Medieval China. 10–11 (1): 23–65.

via

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Xijun

Liu Xijun (Chinese: 劉細君; pinyin: Liú Xìjūn; Wade–Giles: Liu Hsi-chün, born circa 123, died 101 B.C.), also known as Princess Xijun (細君公主), Princess of Jiangdu (Chinese: 江都公主) or the Princess of Wusun (Chinese: 烏孫公主), was a princess of the Han dynasty sent to marry the King of Wusun as marriage alliance. This poem said to be by her is one of the earliest known Chinese poems attributable to a named woman.

The poem:

悲愁歌

吾家嫁我兮天一方，

遠托異國兮烏孫王。

穹廬為室兮旃為牆，

以肉為食兮酪為漿。

居常土思兮心內傷，

願為黃鵠兮歸故鄉。

Romanisation (in reconstructed Old Chinese):

prɯl zrɯw kaːl

ŋaː kraː kraː ŋaːlʔ ɢeː qʰl'iːn qliɡ paŋ,

ɢʷanʔ l̥ʰaːɡ lɯɡs kʷɯːɡ ɢeː qaː suːn ɢʷaŋ.

kʰʷɯŋ ra ɢʷal hliɡ ɢeː tjan ɢʷal zaŋ,

lɯʔ njuɡ ɢʷal ɦljɯɡ ɢeː ɡ·raːɡ ɢʷal ʔsaŋ.

kas djaŋ l̥ʰaːʔ snɯ ɢeː slɯm nuːbs hljaŋ,

ŋʷans ɢʷal ɡʷaːŋ kuːɡ ɢeː klul kaːs qʰaŋ.

Romanisation (with modernised spelling):

Bēichóu gē

Wú jiā jià wǒ xī tiān yīfāng,

Yuǎn tuō yìguó xī wū sūn wáng.

Qiónglú wèi shì xī zhān wèi qiáng,

Yǐ ròu wèi shí xī lào wèi jiāng.

Jū cháng tǔ sī xī xīn nèishāng,

Yuàn wéi huáng hú xī guī gùxiāng.

English translation (by Kern):

Song of Sorrow

My family married me off to the edge of the world

Far away to the strange land of the Wusun king

A domed hut is my chamber, the felt my walls

Meat is my food, fermented milk my drink

Living here, I long for my land, and my heart aches

Wishing I could be a yellow swan, and return to my old home.

Note: The yellow swan (黃鵠, huánghú) is a legendary bird in China that can fly nonstop for a thousand Chinese miles.

Princess Hedvig Sofia of Sweden's letter to a member of the Royal Council, dated July 5, 1705

Source:

Riksarkivet, Kungliga arkivet, Prinsessan Hedvig Sofia, hertigarna Karl Fredrik och Karl Peter Ulrik, Brev och handlingar, page 160

https://sok.riksarkivet.se/digitala-arkiv?Arkivsok=Maria+Eleonora&EndastDigitaliserat=false&Lan=0&Arkivtyp=Alla&AvanceradSok=False&PageSize=100&typAvLista=Standard&page=2&postid=Arkis+e5b99644-618d-47da-85b5-0082aca936fa&tab=post&FacettState=undefined%3ac%7c&prependUrl=%2fdigitala-arkiv&vol=n%2cn%2cn&s=Balder

Above: Princess Hedvig Sofia of Sweden, Duchess of Holstein, painted by David von Krafft.

The letter:

Högwälborne H:r Grefwe, Kongl: Maij:ttz Råd,

Bemödar åter Eders Excell:ce med bijfogade Supplique, hwarvtaff Eders Excell:tz lärer inhämta Supplicantens vnderdånigste ansökiande hos Hans Maij:tt; Och som derigenom een fattig Enkia med så många [illegible] kunde blifwa vndsatt och hulpen, wore wäll om Saken kunde låta giöra sij; och twiflar intet Eders Excell:tz har den godheten at befordra den samma och uträtta hwid hos Hans Maij:tt hwad som möjeligst är; förblifwer i det öfrige

Eders Excell:tz

Wäl affectionnée

H Sophie

Stockholm d: 5.

Julii 1705.