曇りなく豊栄昇る朝日には
君ぞ仕へむ万代までに
君ぞ仕へむ万代までに
- Roma-ji
-
Kumori naku toyosaka noboru asahi ni wa kimi zo tsukaemu yorozuyo made ni
- English Translation
-
Without a single cloud
the glorious morning sun
is rising, and to it
it is you who will give service
for ten thousand ages
- Meaning
- To the morning sun rising in cloudless glory, it is you who will give your service, for ten thousand ages to come.
- Commentary
-
Book Five Celebration Poems 333
To a reign like the morning sun rising cloudless and glorious, it is you who will give service for ten thousand ages, the poem says. 'Toyosaka noboru' is a phrase found in Shinto prayers, describing the morning sun rising in radiant splendor. By speaking of serving the shining sun, the poem celebrates both the lasting prosperity of the one who serves and the reign itself.
This is the closing poem of Book Five, Celebration Poems. Where the opening poem, 305, began with 'a thousand ages', this poem closes the book with 'for ten thousand ages', so that the beginning and end of the book answer each other. The light of the morning sun also echoes the first line 'without a cloud' of poem 316 and 'the morning sun on the peak' in poem 325 in this book.
The author, Toshiyori, is Minamoto no Toshiyori. A son of Minamoto no Tsunenobu, he compiled this anthology, the Kin'yōwakashū, at the command of Retired Emperor Shirakawa, and is known for his innovative style.
First line, 'kumori naku', means without a cloud, answering the first line 'kumori naki' of poem 316 in this book.
Second line, 'toyosaka noboru', means rising in radiant splendor, a phrase found in Shinto prayers.
Third line, 'asahi ni wa', means to the morning sun, a figure for the shining reign. Poems 316 and 325 in this book also sing of the morning sun.
Fourth line, 'kimi zo tsukaemu', means it is you who will serve, zo binding with the attributive mu. The poem breaks after the fourth line and the final line is inverted.
Final line, 'yorozuyo made ni', means for ten thousand ages, answering the first line 'chiyo furedo' of the opening poem, 305, and closing the book.
- Author
- Minamoto no Toshiyori
- Source
- Kinyo Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Yorozuyo no tameshi to miyuru matsu no ue ni yuki sae tsumoru toshi ni mo aru kana
- Next Poem
-
Kimi ushi ya hana no miyako no hana o mide nawashiromizu ni isogu kokoro yo