beginning of the year; early in the New Year
to follow; to come along with one; to accompany
Izumi Shikibu (Poet of the Heian period, included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu)
first generation; founder
connection (to a person, place, etc.); relation; affinity
sutra; Buddhist scriptures
to mince; to cut fine; to carve; to engrave; to tick away (time); to beat out (e.g. rhythm); to etch (into one's mind)
counter for wheels and flowers
(written) explanation; instructions (e.g. on a product); explanatory label
rod; pole; neck (of a shamisen, etc.); shamisen; beam (i.e. the crossbar of a balance); single line (esp. as a flying formation for geese); penis
demon; devil; evil spirit; -crazed person; -obsessed person; fiend
sacred books; sutras; scriptures; Bible
merit; virtuous deed; divine reward (for virtuous deeds); grace (of the buddhas and gods); merit; meritum
whirling; revolving; coiling around; winding around; working tirelessly; working hard
jingle; ding; ringing of small bells
to push aside; to brush aside
completion; accomplishment; attainment of greatness or success
having many difficulties in store; grim prospects
travels; pilgrimage; itinerancy
old-fashioned; archaic; antique; antiquated
warding off evil; protecting against misfortune
calamity; evil; misfortune
deletion; removal; elimination; erasure; cancellation; revocation
misfortune; bad luck; unlucky year; critical year; (arch.) smallpox
to suck up; to absorb; to squeeze (money)
prosperity; flourishing; thriving
prayer (for something); supplication
(skin) eruption; rash; pimple; spot; acne; boil
Sugawara no Michizane (845-903)
no wonder; little wonder; after all; as expected; which isn't surprising
to turn right; to turn to the right
scholarly ability; scholarship; knowledge; literary ability
elevation; rise; improvement; advancement; progress
battlefield; battleground
to lose sight of (one's companions); to stray from; to miss (one's chance to ...)
breaking up (e.g. meeting); dispersing (e.g. crowd); dissolving (company, organization, etc.); liquidating; dissolving (diet, parliament, etc.)
qualitative difference; disparity; gap
cruel; heartless; violent; intense; very bad; terrible
to be in confusion or commotion; to be in a turmoil; to be crowded or jammed with people