あふ坂の嵐の風に散る花を
しばし留むる関守ぞなき
しばし留むる関守ぞなき
- Roma-ji
-
Ausaka no arashi no kaze ni chiru hana o shibashi todomuru sekimori zo naki
- English Translation
-
At Ōsaka's pass
in the wild wind of the storm
blossoms scatter down—
to hold them back a little while
there is no barrier guard.
- Meaning
- At Ōsaka the blossoms scatter in the stormy wind—and there is no barrier guard to hold them back even for a while.
- Commentary
-
Spring Poems 67
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Blossoms on the barrier road"
Watching blossoms scatter in the storm at the Ōsaka Barrier, the poet laments that while there are guards to stop travelers, there is none to stop the falling blossoms even for a moment. The wit of linking a barrier's duty with falling flowers carries his love of the blossoms.
The Ruijū text places it among the miscellaneous poems.
Line 1 continues the Ōsaka Barrier from 65 and 66; here, contrary to the name "meeting," a parting from the blossoms is sung.
Line 2 names the violent wind blowing down from the mountain.
Line 3 names the blossoms scattering over the barrier.
Line 4 means "to hold back even a little," overlapping with a guard's duty.
Line 5: zo with the attributive naki forms a kakarimusubi. The contrast between guards who stop people but not blossoms gives the poem its charm.
- Author
- Minamoto no Sanetomo
- Source
- Kinkaishu
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Na ni shi owaba iza tazunemimu ausaka no sekiji ni niou hana wa ari ya to
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Ausaka no seki no sekiya no itabisashi mabara nareba ya hana no moruramu