Haru no ta o hito ni makasete ware wa tada hana ni kokoro o tsukuru koro kana - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

春の田を人にまかせて我はただ
花に心をつくる頃かな

Roma-ji: Haru no ta o hito ni makasete ware wa tada hana ni kokoro o tsukuru koro kana
English Translation: The fields of springtime
I leave in others' hands, and
as for me, I only
set my heart upon the flowers
in these days that now go by.
Meaning: Leaving the spring fields to others, these days I give my heart to nothing but the flowers.
Commentary: Book One Spring Poems 47

Headnote: "For a folding screen at the time of the celebration for the Empress in the fourth year of Jōhei"
Leaving the work of the spring fields to others, the poet gives her heart wholly to the flowers. Following the two preceding poems on spring field work, it turns away from the fields toward the blossoms. According to the headnote, it accompanied a screen for the celebration held for Empress Fujiwara no Onshi in the fourth year of Jōhei, the same occasion as poem 2 of this book.
There is no settled view as to who is meant by "Saigū no Naishi." The Saigū was the unmarried imperial princess who served the Ise Shrine, and "naishi" is the title of a lady-in-waiting in her service.

First line, "haru no ta o," takes up the mountain fields of poems 45 and 46 of this book, singing of the spring field.
Second line, "hito ni makasete," is a pivot word combining "makasu" in the sense of leading water into a field and "makasu" meaning to entrust to others, taking up the same word as the preceding poem.
Third line, "ware wa tada," sets the poet against those to whom the fields are left, with "tada" meaning "solely," expressing devotion to the flowers.
Fourth line, "hana ni kokoro o," shows the poet's thoughts turned to the flowers.
Final line, "tsukuru koro kana," is a pivot word combining "tsuku," to attach one's heart, and "tsukuru," to cultivate a field. "Kana" is an exclamatory particle.
Author: Saigū no Naishi
Source: Shui Wakashu
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