かつ消えて空に乱るる淡雪は
もの思ふ人の心なりけり
もの思ふ人の心なりけり
- Roma-ji
-
Katsu kiete sora ni midaruru awayuki wa mono omou hito no kokoro narikeri
- English Translation
-
Melting as it falls,
whirling in the sky in disarray,
the light, soft snow
is the heart, I see now,
of one lost in longing
- Meaning
- The light snow that melts even as it falls and whirls in disarray across the sky is the very heart of one lost in longing.
- Commentary
-
Book Eight Winter Poems 479
Headnote: "On a day when a little snow fell, sent to a woman."
The poet says that the light snow, melting even as it falls and whirling in disarray across the sky, is the very heart of one lost in longing. In the light snow that vanishes and whirls, he overlays his own heart, disordered by love and on the verge of vanishing.
According to the headnote, the poem was sent to a woman on a day when a little snow was falling. Through the light snow before his eyes, he conveys the turmoil of his longing for her.
The poet, written in kana as "Fujiwara Kagemoto," is Fujiwara no Kagemoto. An official of the early to middle Heian period, he has poems in the Gosen Wakashū, but few details of his career have come down to us.
In this text, the second line reads "sora ni midaruru," which does not agree with "sora mo midaruru" in the line of kana readings. Here the text is followed.
In the first line, "katsu" means "at once, even as": "melting even as it falls."
The second line, "sora ni midaruru," means "whirling in disarray in the sky," overlaying a heart thrown into turmoil by love.
The third line, "awayuki wa," means "the light snow that lies thin and soon melts."
The fourth line, "mono omou hito no," means "of one who broods in love."
In the last line, "narikeri" expresses realization: "it is the heart, I now see."
- Author
- Fujiwara no Kagemoto
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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