初瀬山雲居に花の咲きぬれば
天の川波立つかとぞ見る
天の川波立つかとぞ見る
- Roma-ji
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Hatsuseyama kumoi ni hana no sakinureba ama no kawanami tatsu ka to zo miru
- English Translation
-
On Hatsuse's height
up among the clouds the flowers
have come into bloom,
so the River of Heaven's waves
seem to me to rise and swell
- Meaning
- Since the blossoms have bloomed high among the clouds of Mount Hatsuse, it seems to me that waves are rising on the River of Heaven.
- Commentary
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Book One Spring Poems 51
The cherries blooming on the heights of Mount Hatsuse are likened to white waves rising on the River of Heaven. Like poem 50 it calls the heights kumoi, the realm of clouds, and extends the likeness from the sky to the celestial river.
The author, Masafusa, is Ōe no Masafusa. A son of Ōe no Narihira, he rose to Provisional Middle Counselor. He served three emperors, Go-Sanjō, Shirakawa and Horikawa, and was the foremost scholar of his day.
First line, 'hatsuseyama', is a famous place in Yamato, the mountain of Hasedera temple.
Second line, 'kumoi ni hana no', means the flowers high in the sky, using kumoi as in poem 50.
Third line, 'sakinureba', means since they have bloomed.
Fourth line, 'ama no kawanami', are waves rising on the River of Heaven, a likeness for the white blossoms; the celestial river is brought in through its association with kumoi.
Final line, 'tatsu ka to zo miru', pairs zo with the attributive miru, confirming the likeness.
- Author
- Oe no Masafusa
- Source
- Kinyo Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Yamazakura sakisomeshi yori hisakata no kumoi ni miyuru taki no shiraito
- Next Poem
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Yoshinoyama mine ni nami yoru shirakumo to miyuru wa hana no kozue nari keri