Sakura chiru ko no shitakaze wa samukarade sora ni shirarenu yuki zo furikeru - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

桜散る木の下風は寒からで
空に知られぬ雪ぞ降りける

Roma-ji: Sakura chiru ko no shitakaze wa samukarade sora ni shirarenu yuki zo furikeru
English Translation: Where the cherries fall,
the wind beneath the trees is
not cold in the least,
yet a snow the sky knows not
has been falling all around.
Meaning: The wind beneath the falling cherries is not cold, and yet a snow unknown to the sky is falling.
Commentary: Book One Spring Poems 64

Headnote: "For the poetry contest at the Teiji Palace"
The wind beneath the falling cherries is not cold, yet a snow unknown to the sky is falling; the poem sees the scattering petals as snow. By calling it snow that does not fall from the sky, it vividly captures the beauty of a storm of blossoms. According to the headnote, it was submitted to the poetry contest held at the Teiji Palace of the Cloistered Emperor Uda.
The author, written as Tsurayuki, is Ki no Tsurayuki. He was the leading compiler of the Kokinshū and wrote its kana preface. Known also as the author of the Tosa Diary, he is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.

First line, "sakura chiru," shows the cherry blossoms falling.
Second line, "ko no shitakaze wa," means the wind blowing beneath the trees.
Third line, "samukarade," with "de" as a negative conjunctive particle, means "is not cold," carrying the surprise that snow ought to bring cold.
Fourth line, "sora ni shirarenu," means "unknown to the sky," not falling from the sky, revealing that the snow is a conceit.
Final line, "yuki zo furikeru," closes in the attributive "keru" in response to "zo." The next poem also sees falling cherries as snow.
Author: Ki no Tsurayuki
Source: Shui Wakashu
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