風吹けば方も定めず散る花を
いづ方へ行く春とかは見む
いづ方へ行く春とかは見む
- Roma-ji
-
Kaze fukeba kata mo sadamezu chiru hana o izukata e yuku haru to ka wa mimu
- English Translation
-
When the wind blows hard
the flowers scatter about
with no fixed direction;
which way should I take it, then,
that the spring is going?
- Meaning
- When the wind blows, the blossoms scatter in no fixed direction; how am I to tell which way the spring is going?
- Commentary
-
Book One Spring Poems 76
Headnote: "For a folding screen of the Crown Prince in the reign of Engi"
Watching the blossoms scatter in every direction whenever the wind blows, the poet cannot tell which way spring is departing. The poem questions the whereabouts of departing spring through flowers scattering on all sides. According to the headnote, it accompanied a screen of the Crown Prince in the Engi era.
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, "kaze fukeba," means "when the wind blows."
Second line, "kata mo sadamezu," means "without settling on a direction."
Third line, "chiru hana o," names the flowers scattering on all sides.
Fourth line, "izukata e yuku," means "going which way," answering "kata" in the second line.
Final line, "haru to ka wa mimu," with "ka wa" expressing a question, means "how should I see it as spring departing?" Toward the end of the book, poems on departing spring follow from here.
- Author
- Ki no Tsurayuki
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
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Hana mo mina chirinuru yado wa yuku haru no furusato to koso narinu beranare