霞たちこのめもはるの雪ふれば
花なきさとも花ぞちりける
花なきさとも花ぞちりける
- Roma-ji
-
Kasumi tachi ko no me mo haru no yuki fureba
hana naki sato mo hana zo chirikeru - English Translation
-
When haze arises,
and buds on the trees are spring,
if the snow should fall,
even this village with no flowers
has flowers falling down.
- Meaning
- When haze rises and the buds on the trees show spring, if snow should fall, even this village where no flowers yet bloom has flowers falling down in the spring’s pale snow.
- Commentary
-
Spring Songs, Book One.
A poem on snow falling and lying deep.
A poem that sings of nature in early spring.
The repetition in “even the village with no flowers has flowers” gives a sense of rhythm.
- Author
- Ki no Tsurayuki
- Source
- Kokin Wakashu
- Other
-
- With deep intent I stained my heart at that time; so it may be seen as flowers of snow that could not fade away.
- Though I stand here in the light of spring’s own sun, still upon my head the snow falls down, and this is wretched to me.
- Is it spring, I ask, or are the flowers too slow to come? I would know by hearing— yet even the bush warbler does not sing at all.
- People say, “spring has come,” yet, unless the bush warbler sings, I think it has not— so long as it does not sing, spring is not yet here.