Fuyukusa no karenishi hito no imasara ni yuki fumiwakete mien mono ka wa

English Translation

Like the winter grass,
the one who withered from my life—
would that one now
come treading through the snow
to see me? Surely not

Meaning

Like the winter grass, that person has withered away from my life—would such a one come treading through the snow to see me now? Surely not.

Commentary

Book Six Winter Poems 681

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Topic unknown."
This is the twenty-fifth poem of the snow sequence. The one who has drifted away, withering like winter grass, will surely not come treading through the snow to visit now. The headnote continues from the preceding poem with no topic given, and the circumstances of composition are not recorded.
The author, "Sone no Yoshitada," is Sone no Yoshitada. Having served as Secretary of Tango, he was called Sotango or Sotan. He is known as a poet who composed hundred-poem sequences at an early date.
The scene is winter with snow piled up, and the place is a dwelling that visitors no longer come to.
The direct occasion is not recorded.

The first line, "fuyukusa no," leads from the withering of winter grass into "kare" in the second line.
In the second line, "karenishi hito no," "kare" carries both grass "withering" and a person "drifting away." "Ni" is perfective and "shi" past.
The third line, "imasara ni," means "now, after all this time."
The fourth line, "yuki fumiwakete," means "treading through the snow." Like "yuki kakiwakete" in 665 of this book, it describes coming to visit through the snow.
The last line, "mien mono ka wa," means "would such a one show himself?" with "ka wa" rhetorical. The poem entrusts to withered winter grass and snow the resignation that one who has stopped coming would hardly take the trouble to visit through the snow. Following the poems before that think of visitors in the snow, it is a poem that denies to itself any hope of a visit.

Author

Sone no Yoshitada

Source

Shin Kokin Wakashu

Other