空蝉はからを見つつも慰めつ
深草の山煙だに立て
深草の山煙だに立て
- Roma-ji
-
Utsusemi wa kara o mitsutsu mo nagusametsu Fukakusa no yama kemuri dani tate
- English Translation
-
Those still in this world
take comfort as they gaze upon
the cast-off husk;
O hill of Fukakusa,
let at least your smoke rise up.
- Meaning
- People of this world have found comfort in gazing even at the lifeless body. Hill of Fukakusa, let at least your smoke rise so that we may see it.
- Commentary
-
Book Sixteen Poems of Lament 831
Headnote: "Composed after the Horikawa Chancellor passed away and was laid to rest in the hills of Fukakusa"
This poem was composed after the Horikawa Chancellor was buried in the hills of Fukakusa. While the body was still before their eyes, the mourners could find some solace in looking at it, but now that he is buried, nothing remains to be seen. The poet asks that at least smoke rise to show some sign of the departed.
The Horikawa Chancellor is Fujiwara no Mototsune, adopted heir of Yoshifusa, who became regent and chancellor and was buried at Fukakusa. The next poem also concerns this funeral, and the two stand together as a pair.
The author, Shōen, was a Tendai monk of the early Heian period who held the rank of Sōzu, a senior prelate.
The first line, "the cicada shell," shifts from its original meaning of a cicada's cast-off husk to mean people living in this world.
The second line, "gazing on the husk," uses kara as a pivot word meaning both a cicada's shell and a human corpse, an associated word with the first line. Tsutsu marks continuation.
The third line, "have found comfort," uses the perfective tsu, saying they have found solace until now. The poem breaks after the third line.
The fourth line, "hill of Fukakusa," names the place of Mototsune's burial and is addressed directly. The next poem also begins with "Fukakusa," and the same place name joins the two poems.
The last line, "let at least smoke rise," uses dani to express a minimal wish, and the imperative tate makes a strong plea to the hill.
- Author
- Shōen
- Source
- Kokin Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Chi no namida ochite zo tagitsu Shirakawa wa kimi ga yo made no na ni koso arikere
- Next Poem
-
Fukakusa no nobe no sakura shi kokoro araba kotoshi bakari wa sumizome ni sake