Ryūryūkyo Shinsai 柳々居辰斎

Inscription Text/Poem: 正月の 二重腹帯美を　ひこしめて　春の調子を　乗り初の駒　
松根亭岩丸

霞引く　春の初めの　染めたずな(?)　　とる手ゆたかに　駒ぞいさめる　紀安閉

からごろも　袂ゆたかに　風ふれて　うららかなりし　春の乗初　
春日野古里

此春ぞ　臥龍の梅の　香につれて　流れをわたる　水の江の馬
狂歌堂
Translation: He cinches in the double-saddle girth on New Year’s Day as he mounts his steed for the first ride of spring

While mists trail at the dawn of spring, the striped reins of the prancing horse are proudly held in hand.

The deep sleeves of his splendid robes billow in the wind during his first ride of a glorious spring.

Spring is here and along with the scent of pink plum blossoms, we cross over the stream into the year of the horse.

(Translated in Mirviss and Carpenter, Lloyd Surimono Collection, p. 158)

Signature: 辰斎 Shinsai