classic waka stream

馬並めて多賀の山辺を白栲に
にほはしたるは梅の花かも
Roma-ji

Uma namete taka no yamabe o shirotae ni niowashitaru wa ume no hana ka mo

English Translation
Riding side by side
along the hills of Taka,
white as linen cloth
shining out so radiantly—
are these the blossoms of plum?
Meaning
What makes the slopes of Taka glow pure white, as if riders were ranged there side by side—could it be the plum blossoms?
Commentary
Book Ten Spring Miscellaneous Poems 1859

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Flowers"
This poem depicts masses of plum blossoms making the slopes of Taka shine pure white. The pillow word "uma namete," riding horses side by side, evokes the gaiety of people riding out in company, and the whiteness of plum spreading over the hillside is caught in a broad sweep. Whereas the preceding poem wished to guard a single plum, this one sings of a whole hillside of plum, a contrast of one tree and a multitude.

The first line, "uma namete," means lining up horses and is regarded as a pillow word for "Taka," thought to lead into "taka" from riding along in a line.
In the second line, "the slopes of Taka," Taka is thought to be a place in Yamashiro Province, present-day Ide in Tsuzuki, Kyoto.
The third line, "shirotae ni," means pure white, from "shirotae," white cloth.
In the fourth line, "niowashitaru wa," "niowasu" means to make something glow with color. "Niou" originally described visual beauty.
The last line, "are these plum blossoms," is the same ending as the preceding poem, so the two stand side by side in wonder at the plum.
Source
Manyoshu
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