Is it spring rain
that softly falls—or tears,
for cherry blossoms,
since there is no one
who does not grieve their scattering?

Meaning

Is the softly falling spring rain perhaps tears? For there is no one who does not grieve the scattering of cherry blossoms.

Commentary

Book II, Spring Poems (Part Two)

The poem likens spring rain to the tears of those who lament the falling of cherry blossoms; or perhaps, because the spring rain scatters the blossoms, people are moved to tears.

In another text, it is said to have been composed at a poetry contest held at the residence of the Ninna Middle Captain’s consort.

Author

Otomo no Kuronushi

Source

Kokin Wakashu

Other

Even as snow it only seems to fall, these cherry blossoms; for what purpose do they scatter that the wind should blow so?
High in the hills, I only gazed as I passed, those cherry blossoms; the wind, it seems, do as it pleases with them.
In the wake of winds that have scattered cherry blossoms, there remains— waves rising and surging in a sky without water.
Though it has become a former capital—Nara, and even in the new capital, their color unchanged, the blossoms bloom as ever.

Is it spring rain that softly falls—or tears, for cherry blossoms, since there is no one who does not grieve their scattering?

Is it spring rain
that softly falls—or tears,
for cherry blossoms,
since there is no one
who does not grieve their scattering?