Hana no iro o arawa ni medeba adamekinu iza kurayami ni narite kazasamu - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

花の色をあらはに愛でばあだめきぬ
いざくらやみになりてかざさむ

Roma-ji: Hana no iro o arawa ni medeba adamekinu iza kurayami ni narite kazasamu
English Translation: If I openly praise
the colors of the blossoms,
I seem frivolous;
so come, let us wait for dark
and then wear them in our hair.
Meaning: If I openly admire the color of the blossoms, it seems frivolous; so come, let us wait until it is dark and then put them in our hair.
Commentary: Book Seven Names of Things 355

Headnote: "Sakura (cherry)"
The poet says that openly admiring the color of the blossoms looks frivolous, so let us wait until dark to put them in our hair. Within the bashful mood of one who loves flowers yet minds the eyes of others, the name of the cherry given in the headnote is hidden in the run of sounds "iza kurayami" in the fourth line. The headnote names the thing hidden in the poem.

First line, "hana no iro o," means "the color of the blossoms." Following the red plum of the preceding poem, a spring flower is sung of.
Second line, "arawa ni medeba," means "if I openly admire," the irrealis form with "ba" expressing a supposition.
Third line, "adamekinu," means "it seems frivolous," with "nu" a perfective auxiliary. The poem pauses here.
Fourth line, "iza kurayami ni," means "come, in the darkness," with "iza" a word of invitation. Within the run of sounds "iza kurayami" lies the name "sakura."
Final line, "narite kazasamu," means "let us then put them in our hair," with "mu" an auxiliary of intention. "Arawa ni" (openly) in the second line and "kurayami" (darkness) in the fourth form a pair.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Shui Wakashu
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