吹く風を何いとひけん梅の花
散りくる時ぞ香はまさりける
散りくる時ぞ香はまさりける
- Roma-ji
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Fuku kaze o nani itoiken ume no hana chirikuru toki zo ka wa masarikeru
- English Translation
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The wind as it blows,
why was it that I resented it?
For the plum blossoms
in the moment they come falling
give off a scent still sweeter.
- Meaning
- Why did I ever resent the blowing wind? It is when the plum blossoms come scattering down that their fragrance is sweetest.
- Commentary
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Book One Spring Poems 30
Headnote: "Topic unknown"
The poet had resented the wind for scattering the flowers, but now realizes that the plum's scent is strongest when its blossoms come drifting on the wind, and so thinks better of the wind. Turning the conventional regret for falling flowers on its head, the poem finds a new charm in the scent of scattering blossoms.
The author, written as Mitsune, is Ōshikōchi no Mitsune. One of the compilers of the Kokinshū, he was ranked alongside Ki no Tsurayuki and is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.
First line, "fuku kaze o," presents the wind as the object of dislike, taking up the night wind that worried the poet of the preceding poem.
Second line, "nani itoiken," with the past-conjecture auxiliary "ken," reflects, "why did I resent it?" and the poem pauses after the second line.
Third line, "ume no hana," names the blossoms scattered by the wind.
Fourth line, "chirikuru toki zo," indicates the moment they come drifting down; "zo" is resolved by the attributive "keru" in the final line.
Final line, "ka wa masarikeru," expresses the realization that the scent grows stronger.
- Author
- Oshikochi no Mitsune
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Asa madaki okite zo mitsuru ume no hana yo no ma no kaze no ushirometasa ni
- Next Poem
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Nioi o ba kaze ni sou tomo ume no hana iro sae ayana ada ni chirasu na