限りありて散るだに惜しき山吹を
いたくな折りそ井手の川波
いたくな折りそ井手の川波
- Roma-ji
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Kagiri arite chiru dani oshiki yamabuki o itaku na ori so ide no kawanami
- English Translation
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Since there is a bound,
even their falling is a grief;
the kerria blooms,
do not break them cruelly,
O you waves of Ide's stream
- Meaning
- Even their falling as fate decrees is a grief; do not break the kerria so cruelly, O waves of the Ide River.
- Commentary
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Book One Spring Poems 77
Grieving that the kerria on the banks of the Ide is broken by the river's waves, the poet calls on the waves not to break them so harshly. Where the preceding poem forbade a person, this one addresses the waves.
The author, Tadamichi, is Fujiwara no Tadamichi. A son of Fujiwara no Tadazane, he rose to Regent and Chancellor and was called the Hosshōji Regent. He also excelled in Chinese verse and calligraphy.
First line, 'kagiri arite', is the same opening as poem 21, the fixed span of the flowers' life.
Second line, 'chiru dani oshiki', means even their falling is sad; dani names a lesser case to imply a greater one.
Third line, 'yamabuki o', names the object.
Fourth line, 'itaku na ori so', means do not break them cruelly, the same form of prohibition as 'do not pick them all away' in poem 76.
Final line, 'ide no kawanami', addresses the waves of the Ide River in Yamashiro, famous for kerria and frogs.
- Author
- Fujiwara no Tadamichi
- Source
- Kinyo Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Waga yado ni mata kon hito mo miru bakari ori na tsukushi so yamabuki no hana
- Next Poem
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Haru fukami kaminabigawa ni kage miete utsuroi ni keri yamabuki no hana