Kokinshu #8

When the Nijô Empress was known as the Mother of the Crown Prince, during an audience on the third day of the first month, as Yasuhide bowed before her veranda, she observed snow falling on his head in the sunshine and commanded him to compose a poem.

    Although it is true
that I am bathed in the light
    of the springtime sun,
how unbearable it is
my head is turning to snow.

—14 September 2010

Original by Fun'ya no Yasuhide (dates unknown), a minor courtier active in the years around 860 who was named one of the Six Poetic Geniuses of the age from being discussed in the Kokinshu prefaces, even though only five of Yasuhide's poems are in the anthology. The incident took place some time between 869 and 876, before Nijô's son was placed on the throne as Emperor Yôzei at the age of eight. While it's easy to grasp the surface sense, at least once you decide which shade of meaning of wabishii to render, poems by courtiers are like onions -- there are layers here. The Crown Prince resided in the Spring Palace and New Years was a time when patrons bestowed gifts, so the "spring sunlight" bit does double-duty for a bit of flattery over Nijô's favor -- or possibly a sly request for more, now that "age snows white hairs" on him (to borrow Donne's phrase).


haru no hi no
hikari ni ataru
ware naredo
kashira no yuki to
naru zo wabishiki

---L.