もののふの矢並つくろふ小手の上に
霰たばしる那須の篠原
霰たばしる那須の篠原
- Roma-ji
-
Mononofu no yanami tsukurou kote no ue ni arare tabashiru nasu no shinohara
- English Translation
-
As the warrior
straightens the row of arrows
in his quiver, on his gauntlet
the hailstones leap and scatter—
the bamboo plain of Nasu.
- Meaning
- As a warrior straightens the arrows in his quiver, hailstones strike his gauntlet and go bouncing off—here on the bamboo plain of Nasu.
- Commentary
-
Winter Poems 348
Headnote: "Hail"
This poem was composed on the theme of hail. On the bamboo plain of Nasu, as a warrior straightens the arrows in his quiver, hail beats down on his gauntlet and scatters. In taut, vigorous rhythm, the poet portrays a warrior standing on the hunting ground and the force and sound of the driving hail. It is known as one of Minamoto no Sanetomo's representative poems.
The Ruijū text places this poem among the "poems found in other manuscripts and printed editions." Kamo no Mabuchi gave it a double circle and commented that the scene of hail striking and scattering on the gauntlet of a warrior who has reached both hands over his shoulders to set right the arrows on his back has a vigor as if Kakinomoto no Hitomaro had composed it, and that the place name shinohara, "bamboo plain," has a bond with the hail that cannot be separated.
Line 1, mononofu, means "warrior." Poem 399 opens with the same word.
Line 2 means "straightening the row of arrows in the quiver."
Line 3 means "upon the gauntlet," the armor that guards the arm.
Line 4 means "hail leaps and scatters," catching the sound and motion of hailstones striking the gauntlet and bouncing away.
Line 5 names the bamboo plain of Nasu moor in Shimotsuke, ending the poem powerfully on a noun.
- Author
- Minamoto no Sanetomo
- Source
- Kinkaishu
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Kumo fukaki miyama no arashi saesaete ikoma no take ni arare fururashi
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Sasa no ha no miyama mo soyo ni arare furi samuki shimoyo o hitori ka mo nemu