久方の月夜を清み梅の花
心開けて我が思へる君
心開けて我が思へる君
- Roma-ji
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Hisakata no tsukuyo o kiyomi ume no hana kokoro hirakete aga omoeru kimi
- English Translation
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From the far heavens,
the moonlit night is so clear,
like the plum blossoms,
opening my heart to you,
you, my love, of whom I think
- Meaning
- The moonlit night is so clear that, like the plum blossoms opening, I have opened my heart in thinking of you, my love.
- Commentary
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Book Eight Winter Love Poems 1661
Headnote: "A poem by Lady Ki no Oshika"
Because the moonlit night is so clear, the poet addresses her beloved, whom she thinks of with an open heart, like the plum blossoms opening. Laying a heart that thinks of him with serenity over plum blossoms opening under clear moonlight, it becomes a bright and limpid love poem.
The author, Lady Ki, is called Lady Ki no Oshika in the headnote and was named Oshika. She was a daughter of Ki no Kahito and is said to have become the wife of Prince Aki.
The first line, "hisakata no," is a pillow word for heaven and moon.
The second line, in the pattern "... o ... mi," means "because the moonlit night is clear."
With the third line, the first three lines become a preface leading to "opening," painting plum blossoms opening in the moonlight.
The fourth line means "opening my heart," a play on the opening of plum blossoms.
The final line ends on a noun, using "ru," the attributive of the continuative "ri," and closes with an address: you of whom I think. Just as Ōtomo no Yakamochi's 1596 in this book rejoices, "how brightly shines the moon," on a night he visits his beloved's house, a moonlit night is sung as something that makes the loving heart clear and bright.
- Author
- Ki no Iratsume
- Source
- Manyoshu
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