吹く風に争ひかねてあしひきの
山の桜はほころびにけり
山の桜はほころびにけり
- Roma-ji
-
Fuku kaze ni arasoikanete ashihiki no yama no sakura wa hokorobinikeri
- English Translation
-
To the blowing wind
unable to hold out longer,
the cherries upon
the leg-wearying mountains
have now burst open in bloom.
- Meaning
- Unable to hold out against the blowing wind, the mountain cherries have burst into bloom.
- Commentary
-
Book One Spring Poems 39
Headnote: "Topic unknown"
Unable to hold out against the spring wind, the mountain cherries have burst into bloom; the poem treats their opening as a contest with the wind. Personifying the cherries, it depicts them opening their buds as if unable to resist any longer.
First line, "fuku kaze ni," presents the wind as the force that makes the cherries bloom.
Second line, "arasoikanete," means "unable to resist," personifying the cherries.
Third line, "ashihiki no," is a pillow word for "yama" (mountain).
Fourth line, "yama no sakura wa," takes up the mountain cherries of the preceding poem.
Final line, "hokorobinikeri," adds "nikeri," expressing completion and exclamation, to "hokorobu," meaning buds opening. Since "hokorobu" also means seams coming undone, together with the image of resisting the wind it personifies the cherries.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
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