鏡山うつろふ花を見てしより
面影にのみたたぬ日ぞなき
面影にのみたたぬ日ぞなき
- Roma-ji
-
Kagamiyama utsurou hana o miteshi yori omokage ni nomi tatanu hi zo naki
- English Translation
-
On Mirror Mountain
since I saw the flowers fade
as in a mirror,
there has not been a single day
their image did not rise in me
- Meaning
- Ever since I saw the blossoms fading on Mirror Mountain, as if reflected in a mirror, not a day has passed without their image rising before my eyes.
- Commentary
-
Book One Spring Poems 45
Since seeing the fading blossoms on Mirror Mountain, the poet has seen their image in his mind every day. It is a technical poem that draws the words reflect and image from the mountain's name, Kagami, mirror.
The author, Nakamasa, is Minamoto no Nakamasa. A son of Minamoto no Yoritsuna and the father of Minamoto no Yorimasa, he was a warrior who also made his name as a poet.
First line, 'kagamiyama', is a famous place in Ōmi whose name evokes a mirror.
Second line, 'utsurou hana o', contains utsurou, a pivot word meaning both the flowers fading and being reflected in a mirror, an associated word of mirror.
Third line, 'miteshi yori', means ever since I saw them.
Fourth line, 'omokage ni nomi', uses omokage, an image that rises in the mind, also associated with a mirror.
Final line, 'tatanu hi zo naki', means there is no day it does not appear, the double negative stressing that it rises every day.
- Author
- Minamoto no Nakamasa
- Source
- Kinyo Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Kyō kurenu asu mo kite mimu sakurabana kokoro shite fuke haru no yamakaze
- Next Poem
-
Minetsuzuki niou sakura o shirube nite shiranu yamaji ni kakarinuru kana