匂ひをば風に添ふとも梅の花
色さへあやなあだに散らすな
色さへあやなあだに散らすな
- Roma-ji
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Nioi o ba kaze ni sou tomo ume no hana iro sae ayana ada ni chirasu na
- English Translation
-
Your fragrance, I grant,
you may send along the wind,
O plum blossoms, but
do not, without reason, let
even your color scatter.
- Meaning
- Send your fragrance along on the wind if you must, plum blossoms, but do not let even your color be scattered so heedlessly.
- Commentary
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Book One Spring Poems 31
Headnote: "Topic unknown"
The plum's fragrance may be carried off on the wind, but let the color of its flowers not be scattered for nothing, the poet pleads. Separating scent from color, it shows a heart willing to give the scent to the wind but loath to lose the color.
Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu came from a family that served as chief priests of the Ise Shrine, and took part in compiling the Gosenshū as one of the Five Men of the Pear Chamber. He is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.
First line, "nioi o ba," with "nioi" meaning fragrance and "o ba" marking the object strongly.
Second line, "kaze ni sou tomo," means "even if you send it along with the wind." Following the preceding poem's delight in the scent of blossoms scattered by the wind, it leaves the scent to the wind.
Third line, "ume no hana," stands as the one addressed.
Fourth line, "iro sae ayana," with "sae" adding "even the color," and "ayana" meaning "for no reason" or "recklessly."
Final line, "ada ni chirasu na," with "ada ni" meaning "in vain" and the prohibitive particle "na."
- Author
- Onakatomi no Yoshinobu
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
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Fuku kaze o nani itoiken ume no hana chirikuru toki zo ka wa masarikeru
- Next Poem
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Tomosureba kaze no yoru ni zo aoyagi no ito wa nakanaka midaresomekeru