山おろしに乱れて花の散りけるを
岩離れたる滝と見たれば
岩離れたる滝と見たれば
- Roma-ji
-
Yamaoroshi ni midarete hana no chirikeru o iwa hanaretaru taki to mitareba
- English Translation
-
Down the mountain's wind,
tossed in tangles, the blossoms
scattered on their way,
and I took them for a falls
tumbling free from off the rocks.
- Meaning
- The blossoms scattered, tossed by the wind from the mountain, and I took them for a waterfall leaping free of the rocks.
- Commentary
-
Spring Poems 156
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "When composing fifteen poems on cherry blossoms"
The poet sees the petals scattering in disarray in the wind sweeping down the mountain as a waterfall that has left the rocks and is tumbling down.
The white petals streaming down on the wind are likened to a waterfall leaping from the rocks. Ending with mitareba, the poem leaves the surprise of the conceit hanging. The first line yamaoroshi ni is the same as in 112, where fallen blossoms were likened to snow.
First line, “yamaoroshi ni”: in the wind sweeping down the mountain, a line with an extra syllable.
Second line, “midarete hana no”: the blossoms, in disarray.
Third line, “chirikeru o”: as they were falling.
Fourth line, “iwa hanaretaru”: leaping free from the rocks, depicting a waterfall.
Fifth line, “taki to mitareba”: as I saw them as a waterfall, a trailing ending that leaves the surprise of the image to linger.
- Author
- Saigyō
- Source
- Sankashu
- Prev Poem
-
Mine ni chiru hana wa tani naru ki ni zo saku itaku itowaji haru no yamakaze
- Next Poem
-
Hana mo chiri hito mo miyako e kaerinaba yama sabishiku ya naran to suran