盛りなる籬の菊を今朝見れば
まだ空冴えぬ雪ぞ積もれる
まだ空冴えぬ雪ぞ積もれる
- Roma-ji
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Sakari naru magaki no kiku o kesa mireba mada sora saenu yuki zo tsumoreru
- English Translation
-
The chrysanthemums
in full bloom along the fence,
as I look this morning,
though the sky has not grown cold,
are heaped with fallen snow
- Meaning
- When I look this morning at the chrysanthemums blooming in full along the fence, snow lies piled upon them, though the sky has not yet turned cold.
- Commentary
-
Book Three Autumn Poems 241
Looking this morning at the white chrysanthemums blooming along the fence, the poet sees what seems to be snow piled up, though it is still autumn and the sky has not turned cold. Likening white chrysanthemums to snow, the poem conveys their beauty through the surprise of out-of-season snow.
The next poem, 242, also sings of chrysanthemums, and the two form a pair.
Poems 241 and 242 in this book are poems on the chrysanthemum.
The author, Koben, is known by her name as a lady-in-waiting; she was a court poet of the late Heian period.
First line, 'sakari naru', means at the height of bloom.
Second line, 'magaki no kiku o', uses magaki, a loosely woven fence of bamboo or brushwood, for the chrysanthemums blooming there.
Third line, 'kesa mireba', means when I look this morning, ba after the realis form giving a definite condition.
Fourth line, 'mada sora saenu', means the sky not yet turned cold, showing it is not the season for snow.
Final line, 'yuki zo tsumoreru', is a binding in which zo closes on the attributive ru, likening the white chrysanthemums to snow.
- Author
- Koben
- Source
- Kinyo Wakashu
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Ujigawa no kawase mo mienu yūgiri ni maki no shimabito fune yobau nari
- Next Poem
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Chitose made kimi ga tsumubeki kiku nareba tsuyu mo ada ni wa okaji to zo omou