Home / Classics

Classics

From the Man'yōshū to haikai — every song, traced back to its source anthology.

The Collection

歌集めぐり

Beyond the Hyakunin Isshu, classical Japanese literature is full of words that still sing: the Man'yōshū — Japan's oldest poetry anthology — the opening bell of the Tale of the Heike, the Iroha pangram poem, Bashō's haiku. Classics collects the songs born from those texts, each with the original, its romaji reading, an English translation, and the story behind it.

Man'yōshū

3 songs
Kagerō “First Light” — Kakinomoto no Hitomaro (Man'yōshū I · 48)Released Iyoyo Masumasu “More and More” — Ōtomo no Tabito (Man'yōshū V · 793)Released Iyashike Yogoto “Let Good Things Pile Up” — Ōtomo no Yakamochi (Man'yōshū XX · 4516 — the anthology's final poem)Released

Kokin Wakashū (Kokinshū)

14 songs
Okuyama ni Hyakunin Isshu No. 5Sarumaru no Dayū (Kokinshū, Autumn I · 215)Released Ama no Hara Hyakunin Isshu No. 7Abe no Nakamaro (Kokinshū, Travel · 406)Released Hana no Iro wa Hyakunin Isshu No. 9Ono no Komachi (Kokinshū, Spring II · 113)Released Wata no Hara Hyakunin Isshu No. 11Sangi Takamura (Ono no Takamura) (Kokinshū, Travel · 407)Released Ama tsu Kaze Hyakunin Isshu No. 12Archbishop Henjō (Kokinshū, Miscellaneous I · 872)Released Kimi ga Tame Hyakunin Isshu No. 15Emperor Kōkō (Kokinshū, Spring I · 21)Released Tachiwakare Hyakunin Isshu No. 16Chunagon Yukihira (Ariwara no Yukihira) (Kokinshū, Parting · 365)Released Chihayaburu Hyakunin Isshu No. 17Ariwara no Narihira (Kokinshū, Autumn II · 294)Released Fuku kara ni Hyakunin Isshu No. 22Fun'ya no Yasuhide (Kokinshū, Autumn II · 249)Released Tsuki Mireba Hyakunin Isshu No. 23Ōe no Chisato (Kokinshū, Autumn I · 193)Released Kono Tabi wa Hyakunin Isshu No. 24Sugawara no Michizane (Kokinshū, Travel · 420)Released Hisakata no Hyakunin Isshu No. 33Ki no Tomonori (Kokinshū, Spring II · 84)Released Hito wa Isa Hyakunin Isshu No. 35Ki no Tsurayuki (Kokinshū, Spring I · 42)Released Natsu no Yo wa Hyakunin Isshu No. 36Kiyohara no Fukayabu (Kokinshū, Summer · 166)Released

The Tales of Ise

1 songs
Harumi “Spring Sea” — Ariwara no Narihira (The Tales of Ise, episode 68)Released

Gosen Wakashū (Gosenshū)

4 songs
Aki no Ta Hyakunin Isshu No. 1Emperor Tenji (Gosenshū, Autumn II · 302)Released Kore ya Kono Hyakunin Isshu No. 10Semimaru (Gosenshū, Miscellaneous I · 1089)Released Tsukubane no Hyakunin Isshu No. 13Retired Emperor Yōzei (Gosenshū, Love III · 776)Released Shiratsuyu ni Hyakunin Isshu No. 37Fun'ya no Asayasu (Gosenshū, Autumn II · 308)Released

The Tales of Yamato

1 songs
Koke no Koromo “The Robe of Moss” — Ono no Komachi & Archbishop Henjō, poem exchange (Gosenshū / Tales of Yamato 168)Released

Shūi Wakashū (Shūishū)

5 songs
Ashibiki no Hyakunin Isshu No. 3Kakinomoto no Hitomaro (Shūishū, Love III · 778)Released Wasuraruru Hyakunin Isshu No. 38Ukon (Shūishū, Love IV · 870)Released Shinoburedo Hyakunin Isshu No. 40Taira no Kanemori (Shūishū, Love I · 622)Released Koi su Chō Hyakunin Isshu No. 41Mibu no Tadami (Shūishū, Love I · 621)Released Aimite no Hyakunin Isshu No. 43Fujiwara no Atsutada (Shūishū, Love II · 710)Released

Iroha — Heian Songs

1 songs
Iroha Uta “The Iroha Song” — Iroha — the pangram poem (attr. Kūkai, Heian period)Released

Shōyūki — Court Diaries

1 songs
Mochizuki “The Full Moon” — Fujiwara no Michinaga's 'Full Moon Poem' (Shōyūki diary, 1018)Released

Goshūi Wakashū (Goshūishū)

6 songs
Arazaran Hyakunin Isshu No. 56Izumi Shikibu (Goshūishū, Love III · 763)Released Yasurawade Hyakunin Isshu No. 59Akazome Emon (Goshūishū, Love II · 680)Released Yo o Komete Hyakunin Isshu No. 62Sei Shōnagon (Goshūishū, Miscellaneous II · 939)Released Ima wa Tada Hyakunin Isshu No. 63Fujiwara no Michimasa (Goshūishū, Love III · 750)Released Sabishisa ni Hyakunin Isshu No. 70Ryōzen Hōshi (Goshūishū, Autumn I · 333)Released Takasago no Hyakunin Isshu No. 73Ōe no Masafusa (Goshūishū, Spring I · 120)Released

『金葉集』

2 songs
Ōeyama Hyakunin Isshu No. 60Koshikibu no Naishi (Kin'yōshū, Miscellaneous I · 550)Released Yū Sareba Hyakunin Isshu No. 71Dainagon Tsunenobu (Minamoto no Tsunenobu) (Kin'yōshū, Autumn · 183)Released

Shika Wakashū (Shikashū)

1 songs
Se o Hayami Hyakunin Isshu No. 77Retired Emperor Sutoku (Shikashū, Love I · 229)Released

Shin Kokin Wakashū (Shin Kokinshū)

5 songs
Haru Sugite Hyakunin Isshu No. 2Empress Jitō (Shin Kokinshū, Summer · 175)Released Tago no Ura Hyakunin Isshu No. 4Yamabe no Akahito (Shin Kokinshū, Winter · 675)Released Meguriaite Hyakunin Isshu No. 57Murasaki Shikibu (Shin Kokinshū, Miscellaneous I · 1499)Released Nagaraeba Hyakunin Isshu No. 84Fujiwara no Kiyosuke (Shin Kokinshū, Miscellaneous II · 1843)Released Tama no O yo Hyakunin Isshu No. 89Princess Shikishi (Shin Kokinshū, Love I · 1034)Released

Shin Chokusen Wakashū (Shin Chokusenshū)

3 songs
Yo no Naka wa Hyakunin Isshu No. 93Minamoto no Sanetomo (Shin Chokusenshū, Travel · 525)Released Konu Hito o Hyakunin Isshu No. 97Fujiwara no Teika (Shin Chokusenshū, Love III · 849)Released Kaze Soyogu Hyakunin Isshu No. 98Fujiwara no Ietaka (Shin Chokusenshū, Summer · 192)Released

The Tale of the Heike

1 songs
Gion Shōja no Kane “The Bell of Gion” — The Tale of the Heike, opening lines (Kamakura period)Released

Haikai — The Narrow Road to the Deep North

1 songs
Samidaregawa “River of May Rain” — Matsuo Bashō, haiku (The Narrow Road to the Deep North, 1689)Released