The spray I broke off
for my sovereign's headdress is
a show of flowers
yielding nothing whatever
to the clouds of deep purple

Meaning

The spray I broke off for my sovereign's headdress makes a show of flowers that yields nothing to the clouds of deep purple.

Commentary

Part Three: Yadorigi

　The third poem of the wisteria banquet, spoken by Yugiri. He sat that day before the Emperor and praised the wisteria. It was the period in which, having given his Sixth Daughter to Niou, he was building his weight at court still further. He had once sought a match with Kaoru and been refused, but here he keeps to a well made blessing suited to the occasion and lets no private feeling show.

　Kimi ga tame is for the sovereign's sake. "Clouds of purple" are the auspicious clouds of that colour, set beside the colour of the wisteria. He uses the form, following the Kokinshu poem that takes chrysanthemums for stars, of raising a flower to something of heaven. Keshiki ka is an exclamation, closing on praise of the flower in front of him. He keeps the dignity a banquet requires.

Author

Murasaki Shikibu

Source

Genji Monogatari

Other

The spray I broke off for my sovereign's headdress is a show of flowers yielding nothing whatever to the clouds of deep purple

The spray I broke off
for my sovereign's headdress is
a show of flowers
yielding nothing whatever
to the clouds of deep purple