春来れば花見にと思ふ心こそ
野辺の霞とともにたちけれ
野辺の霞とともにたちけれ
- Roma-ji
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Haru kureba hanami ni to omou kokoro koso nobe no kasumi to tomo ni tachikere
- English Translation
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When the spring arrives,
"Let us go see the flowers"—
so my heart, I find,
with the haze across the fields
rises up and sets out too
- Meaning
- When spring comes, my heart, longing to go and see the flowers, rises and sets out together with the haze over the fields.
- Commentary
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Book Three Spring Poems III 112
Headnote: "When the women went out to the fields to view the flowers."
With spring, the heart that longs to go flower-viewing rises and sets out along with the haze over the fields. Laying the heart's excitement over the scene of rising haze, the poem conveys the gay mood of women setting out to see the flowers.
According to the headnote, it was composed when the women went out to the fields to view the blossoms.
The poet, called "Lady Yoruka, Assistant Handmaid," is Fujiwara no Yoruka. A woman poet who served at the courts of Emperors Uda and Daigo, she became Assistant Handmaid, the second-ranking post of the Palace Attendants' Office.
The first line, "Haru kureba," means "when spring comes." 98 of this book also begins with "Haru kureba."
The second line, "hanami ni to omou," means "thinking to go flower-viewing."
In the third line, "koso" forms a kakarimusubi pattern with the perfective "kere" in the last line.
The fourth line, "nobe no kasumi to," presents the haze spreading over the fields. 99 and 113 of this book also pair haze with "tatsu."
In the last line, "tachi" is a pivot word joining the haze "rising" and the heart "rising" in excitement and setting out.
- Author
- Fujiwara no Yoruka
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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