降り初めて友待つ雪はむばたまの
わが黒髪の変はるなりけり
わが黒髪の変はるなりけり
- Roma-ji
-
Furisomete tomo matsu yuki wa mubatama no waga kurokami no kawaru narikeri
- English Translation
-
Having begun to fall,
the snow that waits for a friend
is none other than
my black hair, black as night,
that has changed to white
- Meaning
- The snow that began to fall and lingers, waiting for its friend, the next snowfall, is in truth my own black hair turned white.
- Commentary
-
Book Eight Winter Poems 471
Headnote: "On a morning of snow, lamenting old age."
The poet says that the snow that began to fall and lingers, waiting for its friend, is in truth his own black hair turned white. Likening white hair to lingering snow, he laments old age.
According to the headnote, he composed it on a snowy morning, lamenting old age. It is followed by Fujiwara no Kanesuke's reply, a second poem by Tsurayuki and Kanesuke's reply to that, so that the four poems through 474 form a sequence of exchanges on snow and white hair. 467 in this book also overlays snow with white hair.
The poet, called "Tsurayuki," is Ki no Tsurayuki. He was one of the compilers of the Kokin Wakashū and served as Governor of Tosa, among other posts. Known also as the author of the Tosa Diary, he is one of the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals.
The first line, "Furisomete," means "having begun to fall."
The second line, "tomo matsu yuki wa," means "the snow that lingers, as if waiting for the next snowfall as its friend."
The third line, "mubatama no," is a pillow word modifying "black," "night" and the like, here modifying "kurokami," black hair.
The fourth line, "waga kurokami no," means "my black hair." 467 in this book and the next poem also open with "kurokami."
In the last line, "narikeri" expresses realization: "it was, I now see, that it had changed."
- Author
- Ki no Tsurayuki
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Shirayama ni yuki furinureba ato taete ima wa Koshiji ni hito mo kayowazu
- Next Poem
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Kurokami no iro furikauru shirayuki no machiizuru tomo wa utoku zo arikeru