Ume no hana yuki yori saki ni sakishikado miru hito mare ni yuki no furitsutsu - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

梅の花雪より先に咲きしかど
見る人まれに雪の降りつつ

Roma-ji: Ume no hana yuki yori saki ni sakishikado miru hito mare ni yuki no furitsutsu
English Translation: The blossoms of plum
opened earlier than the snow,
and yet there are few
who come to look upon them,
while the snow keeps on falling.
Meaning: The plum blossoms bloomed even before the snow, yet few come to see them, and the snow keeps falling upon them.
Commentary: Book Sixteen Miscellaneous Spring Poems 1007

Headnote: "For a screen of the High Priestess of Kamo at Momozono"
The poet says that though the plum blossoms bloomed before the snow, few come to see them, and the snow keeps falling on them. The headnote shows it was written for a painting on a screen of the High Priestess of Kamo at Momozono. It depicts the lonely scene of early plum blossoms visited by no one, while snow falls upon them.
The second line of the main text reads "yuki yori saki ni," which does not match "haru yori saki ni" in the reading line. Here the main text is followed.

First line, "ume no hana," means "the plum blossoms."
Second line, "yuki yori saki ni," means "before the snow," repeating the word "yuki" of the final line.
Third line, "sakishikado," means "though they bloomed," with "shika" the perfective form of the past auxiliary "ki" and "do" a concessive particle.
Fourth line, "miru hito mare ni," means "few come to see them."
Final line, "yuki no furitsutsu," means "the snow keeps falling," with "tsutsu" expressing repetition and continuation, trailing off to leave a lingering feeling.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Shui Wakashu
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