幾千代も君ぞ語らむ積もりゐて
面白かりし花の御幸を
面白かりし花の御幸を
- Roma-ji
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Ikuchiyo mo kimi zo kataramu tsumoriite omoshirokarishi hana no miyuki o
- English Translation
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For thousands of years
it is you who will tell it—
how splendid it was,
blossoms lying deep in drifts,
the outing to view the flowers
- Meaning
- For thousands of ages it is you who will tell of it: the splendid royal outing to see the blossoms, where the petals lay piled in drifts.
- Commentary
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Book Nine Miscellaneous Poems I 520
It is you, the poet says, who will tell for thousands of years of this splendid blossom-viewing excursion with petals lying piled in drifts. To the aged Eien, who lamented in the preceding poem, 519, that he might have few years left to tell of it, he replies with the blessing that Eien will live a thousand years to pass it on.
Taking up kataramu of the preceding poem directly in the second line, and answering the question ima ikutose ka with ikuchiyo mo, the reply shows the wit of the exchange.
First line, 'ikuchiyo mo', means for thousands of years, answering ima ikutose ka in the fourth line of the preceding poem with words wishing a thousand years of life.
Second line, 'kimi zo kataramu', means it is you who will tell, the particle zo answered by the attributive of mu. It takes up hito ni kataramu in the final line of the preceding poem. The poem breaks here, and by inversion leads on to hana no miyuki o in the final line.
Third line, 'tsumoriite', means lying piled up, apparently describing the scattered petals. It can also be read as echoing the piling up of years.
Fourth line, 'omoshirokarishi', means that was so splendid, the attributive shi of the past ki modifying the final line.
Final line, 'hana no miyuki o', means of the royal blossom-viewing excursion. The object of kataramu in the second line is placed last by inversion.
- Source
- Kinyo Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Yukusue no tameshi to kyō o omou tomo ima ikutose ka hito ni kataramu
- Next Poem
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Morotomo ni aware to omoe yamazakura hana yori hoka ni shiru hito mo nashi