うち羽振き鶏は鳴くともかくばかり
降り敷く雪に君いまさめやも
降り敷く雪に君いまさめやも
- Roma-ji
-
Uchihabuki tori wa naku tomo kaku bakari furishiku yuki ni kimi imasame ya mo
- English Translation
-
Beating its wings,
though the cock may crow aloud,
in snow lying
as deep as this all around,
would you, my lord, go home?
- Meaning
- Even if the cock beats its wings and crows, with snow lying this deep all around, would you really set off for home?
- Commentary
-
Book Nineteen 4233
Headnote: "Then, when everyone was deep in their cups, the night grew late and a cock crowed. Thereupon the host, Kura no Imiki Nawamaro, composed a poem"
As the banquet grew lively and the night wore on, a cock crowed, and the host, Nawamaro, composed this poem to keep his guests: even if the cock beats its wings and crows at dawn, with snow piled this deep, surely you will not be leaving—it shows the host's reluctance to see the party end.
The cock's crow was often sung as signaling the parting of lovers at dawn; here the device becomes a host's greeting urging guests to stay. In the next poem Yakamochi responds.
The poet, Kura no Nawamaro, was Assistant Governor (suke, the second-ranking official) of Etchū and assisted Governor Yakamochi.
First line, "uchihabuki" (beating its wings): "uchi" is a prefix, depicting the wingbeats before the crow.
Second line, "tori wa naku tomo" (though the cock crows): "tomo" is a concessive conditional.
Third line, "kaku bakari" (this deep), stresses the depth of the snow.
Fourth line, "furishiku yuki ni" (in the snow spread all around), shows the difficulty of the way home.
Fifth line, "kimi imasame ya mo" (would you go?): "imasu" is honorific for "go," and "ya mo" rhetorical, closing as he urges his guests to stay.
- Author
- Kura no Tadamaro
- Source
- Manyoshu
- Prev Poem
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Yuki no shima iwao ni uetaru nadeshiko wa chiyo ni sakanu ka kimi ga kazashi ni
- Next Poem
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Naku tori wa iyashiki nakedo furu yuki no chie ni tsume koso waga tachikatene