白雪の降りしく時はみ吉野の
山下風に花ぞ散りける
山下風に花ぞ散りける
- Roma-ji
-
Shirayuki no furishiku toki wa miyoshino no yamashitakaze ni hana zo chirikeru
- English Translation
-
When the white snow falls
and covers all the ground,
in fair Yoshino
on the wind beneath the hills
the blossoms come scattering down.
- Meaning
- When white snow falls and blankets everything, blossoms seem to scatter on the wind that blows down from the mountains of fair Yoshino.
- Commentary
-
Book Four Winter Poems 253
Headnote: "For a folding screen at the house of Sadakuni, Major Captain of the Right"
When white snow falls and blankets everything, the snow dancing on the wind blowing down from the mountains of Yoshino looks like cherry blossoms scattering. Overlaying winter snow on Yoshino, famed for its cherry blossoms, the poem sees the snow as flowers and calls the splendor of spring into the winter scene. According to the headnote, it was written for a folding screen at the house of Fujiwara no Sadakuni, Major Captain of the Right.
The author, written as Tsurayuki, is Ki no Tsurayuki. The leading compiler of the Kokinshū, he wrote its Kana Preface and the Tosa Diary, and he is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.
First line, "shirayuki no," means "the white snow."
Second line, "furishiku toki wa," means "when it falls and blankets all."
Third line, "miyoshino no," means "of Yoshino," with "mi" an honorific prefix of praise.
Fourth line, "yamashitakaze ni," means "on the wind blowing down from the mountains."
Final line, "hana zo chirikeru," means "blossoms are scattering," with "zo" resolved by the attributive "keru," seeing the snow as flowers. 256 in this book likewise sees the snow on plum branches as blossoms, sharing the conceit of snow as flowers.
- Author
- Ki no Tsurayuki
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Ashihiki no yamaji mo shirazu shirakashi no eda ni mo ha ni mo yuki no furereba
- Next Poem
-
Hito shirezu haru o koso mate harau beki hito naki yado ni fureru shirayuki