春くればかりかへるなり白雲の
みちゆきぶりにことやつてまし
みちゆきぶりにことやつてまし
- Roma-ji
-
Haru kureba kari kaeru nari shirakumo no
michiyukiburi ni koto ya tsutemashi - English Translation
-
When spring comes round,
the geese return north again;
on the white clouds’ road
they go their distant way—
would that I could send word.
- Meaning
- When spring comes, the geese return to the north. They go their way along the road of white clouds; if only I could send a message to the one who went down to the land of Koshi.
- Commentary
-
Spring Songs, Book One
Hearing the cries of the returning geese, the poet thinks of someone who went down to the land of Koshi and composed this poem.
Entrusting a letter to geese is based on the tale of Su Wu of the Former Han,
but the story is not stated openly; hearing the cries of the geese, the poet thinks of a friend in the northern lands.
- Author
- Oshikochi no Mitsune
- Source
- Kokin Wakashu
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