classic waka stream

烏崎の浜の小石と思ふかな
白も混じらぬ菅島の黒
Roma-ji

Karasuzaki no hama no koishi to omou kana shiro mo majiranu sugashima no kuro

English Translation
I take them, I think,
for pebbles from the beach
of Karasuzaki—
the black of Sugashima
with not one white stone mixed in.
Meaning
The black pebbles of Sugashima, without a single white one among them—I take them for pebbles from the beach of Karasuzaki, Crow Cape.
Commentary
Miscellaneous Poems 1384

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On the island called Tōshi in Ise there is a beach of nothing but white pebbles..."
The black pebbles of Sugashima, without a single white one among them, seem to him pebbles from the beach of Karasuzaki, the poet says.
The blackness of Sugashima's pebbles is likened to pebbles from Karasuzaki, "Crow Cape." Where the preceding poem sang of the origin of Tōshi's white pebbles, this one sings of Sugashima's black ones, white and black forming a pair.

First line, “karasuzaki no”: of Karasuzaki, a place name echoing the crow's blackness; the line has an extra syllable.
Second line, “hama no koishi to”: as pebbles of its beach.
Third line, “omou kana”: kana is exclamatory; the poem breaks here.
Fourth line, “shiro mo majiranu”: with no white mixed in.
Fifth line, “sugashima no kuro”: the black of Sugashima, ending on a noun, the inversion naming what is likened.
Author
Saigyō
Source
Sankashu
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