梅が香はおのが垣根をあくがれて
真屋のあたりに隙求むなり
真屋のあたりに隙求むなり
- Roma-ji
-
Umegaka wa ono ga kakine o akugarete maya no atari ni hima motomu nari
- English Translation
-
The scent of the plum
has wandered off and left
its own hedge behind,
and round the gabled house it seems
to seek some crack to enter
- Meaning
- The scent of the plum has wandered out beyond its own hedge and seems to be seeking a crack by which to slip into the gabled house.
- Commentary
-
Book One Spring Poems I 26
Headnote: "Composed on the theme "plum blossoms fragrant at night""
Composed on the theme "plum blossoms fragrant at night," this poem treats the night scent of plum as a person: it slips out beyond its own hedge, wanders, and seeks a gap by which to enter a closed-up house. The scent's attempt to steal into a house shut for the night is portrayed with gentle humor.
The author, "Minamoto no Toshiyori Ason," is Minamoto no Toshiyori, son of Major Counselor Minamoto no Tsunenobu. A leading figure in the poetry circle of Emperor Horikawa, he compiled the Kin'yō Wakashū at the command of Retired Emperor Shirakawa. Fujiwara no Shunzei, compiler of the Senzai Wakashū, deeply revered him, and more of his poems are included in this anthology than those of any other poet.
First line, "umegaka wa": makes the plum scent the subject and treats it like a person.
Second line, "ono ga kakine o": "its own hedge," the hedge of the house where it was born.
Third line, "akugarete": "leaving its place and wandering off." In 22 of this book the plum scent made a person "akugarashi," but here the scent itself wanders out.
Fourth line, "maya no atari ni": "maya" is a house with a roof sloping down on both sides of the ridge.
Fifth line, "hima motomu nari": "hima" is a gap, and the inferential "nari" gives "it seems to be seeking a gap."
- Author
- Minamoto no Toshiyori
- Source
- Senzai Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Haru no yo wa fukimau kaze no utsuriga o ki goto ni ume to omoikeru kana
- Next Poem
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Umegaka ni koe utsuri seba uguisu no naku hitoeda wa oramashi mono o