亀の尾の山の岩根をとめて落つる
滝の白玉千世のかずかも
滝の白玉千世のかずかも
- Roma-ji
-
Kame no o no yama no iwane o tomete otsuru
taki no shiratama chiyo no kazu kamo - English Translation
-
from Kame-no-o
along the rooted mountain rocks
falling, the cascade—
its white jeweled drops, could they be
the count of your thousand years
- Meaning
- From Mount Kame-no-o, along the rooted rocks, the falling cascade—are its white jeweled drops the count of your thousand years?
- Commentary
-
Book Seven Felicitations
A poem composed when Prince Sadatoki held a fortieth-year celebration for his grandmother at Ōi.
The turtle, a symbol of long life, is evoked in “Kame-no-o,” while the countless droplets of the waterfall are likened to the many years of a long life. In this way, the poem celebrates the recipient’s longevity with an image of abundance and continuity.
- Author
- Ki no Koretake
- Source
- Kokin Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Sakurabana chirikai kumore oiraku no
komu to iu naru michi magau ga ni - Next Poem
-
Itazura ni sugusu tsukihi wa omooede
hana mite kurasu haru zo sukunaki