いざかくてをり明かしてん冬の月
春の花にも劣らざりけり
春の花にも劣らざりけり
- Roma-ji
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Iza kakute ori akashiten fuyu no tsuki haru no hana ni mo otorazarikeri
- English Translation
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Come, let us stay here,
awake until the dawn breaks,
for the winter moon
to the flowers of the spring
is not inferior, I find.
- Meaning
- Come, let us stay just as we are and sit up until dawn, for the winter moon, I find, is in no way inferior to the flowers of spring.
- Commentary
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Book Seventeen Miscellaneous Autumn Poems 1146
Headnote: "On going to the house of Takaoka no Sukeyuki on a night when the winter moon was lovely"
The poet calls on his companion to sit up until dawn, for he finds the winter moon in no way inferior to the flowers of spring. The headnote shows it was composed on a night when the winter moon was lovely, on a visit to the house of Takaoka no Sukeyuki. Finding in the winter moon, often thought bleak, a beauty equal to the flowers of spring, he invites his friend to spend the night together.
The author, written as "Motosuke," is Kiyohara no Motosuke, grandson of Kiyohara no Fukayabu and father of Sei Shōnagon. As one of the Five Men of the Pear Chamber, he took part in compiling the Gosenshū. He is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.
First line, "iza kakute," means "come, just as we are," with "iza" a word of invitation.
Second line, "ori akashiten," means "let us stay and see out the night," with "te" an emphatic auxiliary and "n" an auxiliary of intention. The poem breaks after this second line.
Third line, "fuyu no tsuki," is the moon of a winter night, pairing with "haru no hana," the flowers of spring, in the fourth line.
Fourth line, "haru no hana ni mo," means "even to the flowers of spring."
Final line, "otorazarikeri," means "is not inferior, I find," with "keri" a sigh of realization.
- Author
- Kiyohara no Motosuke
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
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