近くてぞ色もまされる青柳の
糸はよりてぞ見るべかりける
糸はよりてぞ見るべかりける
- Roma-ji
-
Chikakute zo iro mo masareru aoyagi no ito wa yorite zo miru bekarikeru
- English Translation
-
It is from close by
that their color grows richer;
the green willow's threads
are things that one should draw near,
twisting close, to look upon.
- Meaning
- The green willow's threads look lovelier the closer you are; they are meant to be seen by drawing near.
- Commentary
-
Book One Spring Poems 33
Headnote: "For a folding screen"
Realizing that the lovely color of the green willow, invisible from afar, grows more vivid close up, the poet declares that its branches should be viewed from near at hand. According to the headnote, the poem accompanied a folding screen.
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, "chikakute zo," means "only when seen up close," with "zo" resolved by the attributive "masareru" in the second line.
Second line, "iro mo masareru," means the color too grows more beautiful.
Third line, "aoyagi no," continues the green willow poems from the preceding one.
Fourth line, "ito wa yorite zo," likens the willow to thread and combines "drawing near" with "twisting" thread, taking up the same pivot word "yoru" from the preceding poem.
Final line, "miru bekarikeru," expresses the realization "they ought to be seen so," closing in the attributive form in response to the "zo" of the fourth line.
- Author
- Onakatomi no Yoshinobu
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
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Tomosureba kaze no yoru ni zo aoyagi no ito wa nakanaka midaresomekeru
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Aoyagi no hanada no ito o yoriawasete taezu mo naku ka uguisu no koe