風立たで波を収むる浦々に
小貝を群れて拾ふなりけり
小貝を群れて拾ふなりけり
- Roma-ji
-
Kaze tatade nami o osamuru uraura ni kogai o murete hirou narikeri
- English Translation
-
In bay after bay
where no wind rises and
the waves are at rest,
people in throngs, so it seems,
gather the little shells.
- Meaning
- In bay after bay where no wind rises and the waves lie calm, people gather in crowds to pick up little shells.
- Commentary
-
Miscellaneous Poems 1189
Headnote: "When a shell contest was to be held at the palace, composed on someone's behalf"
Composed on someone's behalf when a shell contest was to be held at court. In bay after bay where no wind rises and the waves lie still, people gather little shells in crowds, the poet says.
The calm bays, without wind or waves, suggest peace in the realm, and the people gathering shells under a tranquil reign celebrate the occasion. A series of poems for the shell contest follows, naming various beaches and kinds of shells.
First line, “kaze tatade”: de is a negative conjunction, "with no wind rising."
Second line, “nami o osamuru”: the waves calmed, suggesting a peaceful world.
Third line, “uraura ni”: in bay after bay.
Fourth line, “kogai o murete”: little shells, in crowds.
Fifth line, “hirou narikeri”: keri is exclamatory, "so they gather them."
- Author
- Saigyō
- Source
- Sankashu
- Prev Poem
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Yukusue no na ni ya nagaren tsune yori mo tsuki sumiwataru shirakawa no mizu
- Next Poem
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Naniwagata shiohi wa murete idetatan shirasu no saki no kogai hiroi ni