草深き霞の谷に影隠し
照る日の暮れし今日にやはあらぬ
照る日の暮れし今日にやはあらぬ
- Roma-ji
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Kusa fukaki kasumi no tani ni kage kakushi teru hi no kureshi kyō ni ya wa aranu
- English Translation
-
In the valley
deep in grass and veiled in haze
hiding its bright face,
the shining sun went down—
was it not upon this day?
- Meaning
- Hiding its light in a hazy valley deep in grass, the shining sun set—was it not on this very day?
- Commentary
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Book Sixteen Poems of Lament 846
Headnote: "Composed on the memorial day of the Fukakusa Emperor"
This poem was composed on the anniversary of the death of the Fukakusa Emperor. Likening the emperor to the shining sun, the poet says that the sun hid itself in a grassy, hazy valley and set; that is, today is the day the emperor died and was buried. Working in the name Fukakusa, where his tomb lies, through the words "deep in grass," he remembers the emperor on his memorial day.
The Fukakusa Emperor is Emperor Ninmyō, who died in Kashō 3 (850) and was buried at Fukakusa, hence the name. A kokki is the memorial day of an emperor or empress, when government business is suspended and rites are held.
The author, Fun'ya no Yasuhide, was one of the Six Poetic Immortals and is said to have been acquainted with Ono no Komachi.
The first line, "deep in grass," rephrases and works in the place name Fukakusa, "deep grass," where the emperor's tomb lies.
The second line, "in the hazy valley," refers to the site of the tomb.
The third line, "hiding its light," likens the emperor's death to the sun hiding itself.
The fourth line, "the shining sun set," hints at the emperor's death, the ruler being likened to the sun.
The last line, "is it not today," uses the rhetorical yawa: "Is it not today? It is." It closes in the attributive nu.
- Author
- Fun'ya no Yasuhide
- Source
- Kokin Wakashu
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