風霜に色も心も変はらねば
主に似たる植ゑ木なりけり
主に似たる植ゑ木なりけり
- Roma-ji
-
Kaze shimo ni iro mo kokoro mo kawaraneba aruji ni nitaru ueki narikeri
- English Translation
-
In wind and in frost
neither its hue nor its heart
ever changes at all—
a tree that resembles
its master, it seems to me
- Meaning
- Through wind and frost, neither its color nor its heart ever changes—this is a tree that resembles its master.
- Commentary
-
Book Seventeen Miscellaneous Poems III 1229
Headnote: "When Prince Yukiakira, having heard that a hemp palm was growing among the plantings in his garden, sent to ask for one, he sent it with this poem attached."
The poet says that since neither its color nor its heart changes in wind and frost, this is a tree that resembles its master. Likening the evergreen hemp palm to a master whose heart does not change through wind and frost, he attaches the poem to the tree he was asked for.
According to the headnote, Prince Yukiakira, hearing that a hemp palm grew among the plantings of the poet's garden, sent to ask for one, and the poet sent it with this poem attached. The next poem is the prince's reply, and the two form an exchange.
The poet, Priest Shin'en, was a monk of the mid-Heian period, but little is known of his life.
The first line, "Kaze shimo ni," means "in wind and frost," exposed to their harshness.
The second line, "iro mo kokoro mo," means "neither color nor heart," setting the tree's color beside its master's heart.
The third line, "kawaraneba," means "since they do not change," with "ba" giving the cause.
The fourth line, "aruji ni nitaru," means "that resembles its master," overlaying the tree with a master of constant heart. The next poem answers with the same words in its second line.
The last line, "ueki narikeri," means "is a tree, I see," with "narikeri" for realization.
- Author
- Priest Shin'en
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Izuko ni mo mi oba hanarenu kage shi areba fusu toko goto ni hitori ya wa nuru
- Next Poem
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Yama fukami aruji ni nitaru ueki oba mienu iro to zo iubekarikeru