白妙の白き月をも紅の
色をもなどかあかしと言ふらん
色をもなどかあかしと言ふらん
- Roma-ji
-
Shirotae no shiroki tsuki o mo kurenai no iro o mo nado ka akashi to iu ran
- English Translation
-
The moon that shines white
as the whitest mulberry cloth,
and the crimson too,
why is it we say of both
that they are "akashi" alike?
- Meaning
- Both the moon, shining pure white, and the color crimson: why is it that we call each of them "akashi"?
- Commentary
-
Book Nine Miscellaneous Poems II 518
Headnote: "Asking again"
The poet asks why things of different colors are called by the same word, "akashi," as the white-shining moon is called "bright" and the crimson color is called "red." From here the object of the questions moves from the sights of nature to the puzzles of language, taking up words of the same sound that bear different meanings. Setting white and crimson, opposite colors, side by side makes the question all the sharper.
The author, written as "Korehira," is Fujiwara no Korehira. A son of Fujiwara no Toshiyuki, he rose to the rank of Consultant.
First line, "shirotae no," is a pillow word introducing "shiroki," white.
Second line, "shiroki tsuki o mo," means "the white moon as well," set in a pair with "kurenai no iro o mo" in the third line onward.
Third line, "kurenai no," means "of crimson," set against "shiroki" in the second line in color.
Fourth line, "iro o mo nado ka," means "and the color as well, why," with "nado ka" expressing a question that answers "ran" in the final line.
Final line, "akashi to iu ran," means "do we call them akashi," with "akashi" a pivot word on the moon's "bright" and the crimson's "red." It is a question in the same form as the final line of 520, "yoru to iu ran," and the two questions form a pair.
- Author
- Fujiwara no Korehira
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
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