冬こもり春へを恋ひて植ゑし木の
実になる時を片待つ我れぞ
実になる時を片待つ我れぞ
- Roma-ji
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Fuyu komori harue o koite ueshi ki no mi ni naru toki o katamatsu ware zo
- English Translation
-
Winter's seclusion past,
longing for the time of spring,
the tree that I planted—
for the day it comes to fruit
I wait, and wait, alone.
- Meaning
- Longing for spring, I planted a tree, and now I wait with all my heart for the day it bears fruit.
- Commentary
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Book Nine Miscellaneous Poems 1705
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Two poems presented to Prince Toneri"
The speaker waits wholeheartedly for the tree he planted in longing for spring to bear fruit. The growth of the tree is read as expressing hope that his efforts will be rewarded with the prince's favor.
This is the second of two poems presented to Prince Toneri.
The author, Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, was a court poet active in the reigns of Jitō and Monmu. This poem is taken from the Hitomaro Collection, which is thought to contain both Hitomaro's own poems and poems by others that he gathered. Prince Toneri was a son of Emperor Tenmu and presided over the compilation of the Nihon Shoki.
The first line, fuyu komori, "winter's seclusion," is a pillow word for spring, from what lies hidden in winter emerging in spring.
The second line, "longing for the time of spring," expresses yearning for spring.
The third line, "the tree that I planted," uses the past auxiliary shi.
The fourth line, "for the day it comes to fruit," figures the time when a wish is fulfilled.
The final line, "I wait, and wait, alone," ends firmly with zo. It uses the same katamatsu, "to wait intently," as "crimson leaves I wait for still" in 1703.
- Author
- Kakinomoto no Hitomaro
- Source
- Manyoshu
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Fusa taori tamu no yamagiri shigemi kamo hosokawa no se ni nami no sawakeru
- Next Poem
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Nubatama no yogiri wa tachinu koromode no takaya no ue ni tanabiku made ni