あしひきの山に白きは我が宿に
昨日の夕降りし雪かも
昨日の夕降りし雪かも
- Roma-ji
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Ashihiki no yama ni shiroki wa waga yado ni kinō no yūbe furishi yuki ka mo
- English Translation
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On the rugged hills
what is shining white up there—
at my dwelling too
yesterday at eventide
is it that same snow that fell?
- Meaning
- What shows white on the mountains—could it be the snow that fell at my home yesterday evening?
- Commentary
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Book Ten Winter Miscellaneous Poems 2324
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Snow"
This poem wonders whether what shows white on the mountains is the same snow that fell at home yesterday evening, and it closes the snow group. From snow fallen at home close by, the heart widens to snow on distant mountains, capturing the breadth of the snowscape. Whereas 2316 inferred the nearby snow from clouds on a distant mountain, this one infers the distant mountain's snow from nearby snow, reversing the direction of near and far.
The first line, "ashihiki no," is a pillow word attached to "mountain."
The second line, "what is white on the mountains," names the sight.
The third line, "at my dwelling," names the place.
The fourth line, "yesterday evening," names the time.
In the last line, "furishi yuki ka mo," "shi" is the attributive of the past "ki" and "ka mo" a question tinged with exclamation.
- Source
- Manyoshu
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