Haru no konu tokoro wa naki o Shirakawa no watari ni nomi ya hana wa sakuramu - Shika Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

春の来ぬ所はなきを白河の
わたりにのみや花は咲くらむ

Roma-ji: Haru no konu tokoro wa naki o Shirakawa no watari ni nomi ya hana wa sakuramu
English Translation: There is no place where
the spring does not come, and yet
round Shirakawa,
I wonder, is it there alone
that the blossoms come to bloom
Meaning: There is no place spring does not reach — so why, I wonder, should the blossoms bloom only around Shirakawa?
Commentary: Book Nine Miscellaneous Poems I 280

Though spring comes everywhere, the poet asks whether blossoms bloom only around Shirakawa. Shirakawa, east of the capital, was a famous place for blossoms where nobles often gathered, and the question seems to glance, with a touch of irony, at the crowds who all flocked there to view the flowers.

The first line, "haru no konu" (where spring does not come), uses the attributive negative.
The second line, "tokoro wa naki o," uses the concessive "o": though there is no such place.
The third line, "Shirakawa no," names a place in Yamashiro Province east of the capital, known for its blossoms.
The fourth line, "watari ni nomi ya," limits it to the Shirakawa area with "nomi" and poses a question with "ya."
The final line, "hana wa sakuramu," closes "ya" with the attributive conjectural "ramu," a kakari-musubi asking whether the blossoms bloom only there.
Author: Koshikibu no Naishi
Source: Shika Wakashu
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