Furu yuki wa katsu mo kenanamu ume no hana chiru ni madowazu orite kazasamu - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

降る雪はかつも消ななむ梅の花
散るにまどはず折りてかざさむ

Roma-ji: Furu yuki wa katsu mo kenanamu ume no hana chiru ni madowazu orite kazasamu
English Translation: Falling snow, I wish
that as you fall you'd melt away;
O blossoms of plum,
not mistaking you for scattering,
I'll break you off for my hair
Meaning: Let the falling snow melt away even as it falls, so that, not confusing it with scattering blossoms, I may break off the plum and wear it in my hair.
Commentary: Book One Spring Poems I 45

Headnote: "Before a gathering seated in a circle drinking wine, snow was falling on the plum blossoms."
Seeing snow fall on the plum blossoms before a drinking party, the poet wishes the snow would melt as it falls, so that he could break off the plum to wear in his hair without confusing it with falling petals. He portrays the scene where the whiteness of snow and plum blend, together with the pleasure of the banquet.
According to the headnote, it was composed when people seated in a circle were drinking and snow was falling on the plum blossoms before them.
The poet, called "Tsurayuki," is Ki no Tsurayuki. A son of Ki no Mochiyuki, he was the leading compiler of the Kokin Wakashū and wrote its kana preface. He served as governor of Tosa, is known as the author of the Tosa Diary, and is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.

The first line, "Falling snow," presents the snow falling on the plum blossoms. The difficulty of telling snow from plum echoes 22 and 26 of this book.
In the second line, "katsu" means "at once, even as," and "nanamu" joins the perfective "na" to the wishing "namu," meaning "I wish it would melt away." The poem pauses here.
The third line, "O blossoms of plum," presents the plum covered in snow, adding color to the banquet.
In the fourth line, "madou" means to mistake or confuse, so the line means "without mistaking falling snow for scattering petals."
In the last line, "kazasu" means to wear flowers or sprigs in one's hair, and "mu" expresses intention. It conveys the bright mood of decorating oneself with plum in the spirit of the feast.
Author: Ki no Tsurayuki
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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