Kokinshu #245
Thursday, 10 May 2012 07:25 Topic unknown.
In spring, being green,
they seemed indeed like they were
all one kind of plant --
in autumn, I see instead
they have various flowers.
midori naru
hitotsukusa to zo
haru wa mishi
aki wa iroiro no
hana ni zo arikeru
---L.
In spring, being green,
they seemed indeed like they were
all one kind of plant --
in autumn, I see instead
they have various flowers.
—30 April 2012
Original author unknown. On to generic late flowers. The two halves of the poem are tightly structured as antitheses in a very Chinese style. I suspect, however, the botany!fail merely expresses aristocratic unconcern for mundane details. The expression of surprise in the final line doesn't really come through in my version.midori naru
hitotsukusa to zo
haru wa mishi
aki wa iroiro no
hana ni zo arikeru
---L.