Umegae ni furitsumu yuki wa hitotose ni futatabi sakeru hana ka to zo miru - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

梅が枝に降り積む雪は一年に
二度咲ける花かとぞ見る

Roma-ji: Umegae ni furitsumu yuki wa hitotose ni futatabi sakeru hana ka to zo miru
English Translation: The snow that lies piled
upon the plum tree's branches—
I take it to be
blossoms that have bloomed again
a second time in one year.
Meaning: The snow piled on the branches of the plum tree looks to me like flowers blooming a second time within the same year.
Commentary: Book Four Winter Poems 256

Headnote: "For a folding screen"
The poet sees the snow piled on the branches of a plum tree as plum blossoms blooming a second time within the year. Overlaying the plum blossoms of spring on winter snow, it is a bright figure that anticipates the spring yet to come. According to the headnote, it was written for a folding screen.
The author, called Kintō, Commander of the Right Gate Guards, is Fujiwara no Kintō. A son of the Chancellor Fujiwara no Yoritada, he rose to Provisional Major Counselor. He compiled the Wakan Rōeishū, is regarded as the compiler of the Shūishō, and is counted among the Later Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.

First line, "umegae ni," means "on the plum branches."
Second line, "furitsumu yuki wa," means "the snow piling up."
Third line, "hitotose ni," means "within one year."
Fourth line, "futatabi sakeru," means "blooming twice," seeing the plum as blooming once more in winter besides its spring flowering. Whereas 253 in this book saw the snow at Yoshino as falling blossoms, this one sees it as blossoms blooming on the branch.
Final line, "hana ka to zo miru," means "I see it as blossoms," with "zo" resolved by the attributive "miru." Like 239 in this book, it ends with "ka to zo miru."
Author: Fujiwara no Kintō
Source: Shui Wakashu
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