Monday, 7 February 2011

Kokinshu #62

Monday, 7 February 2011 07:00
lnhammer: the Chinese character for poetry, red on white background (Default)
Written when someone, after long absence, visited while the cherry blossoms bloomed.

    These cherry blossoms
that have a reputation
    for being fickle
wait even for those who rarely
visit the rest of the year.

—19 November 2010

Original author unknown, but either a woman or someone taking the poetic persona of a lonely lady. This (along with #63) appears in chapter 17 of Tales of Ise, where the author is given as an anonymous lady. Needless to say, the flowers are a metaphor for the speaker. The cherry blossoms could be address or unmarked subject, but as part of an exchange, the former reads just a little too archly.


ada nari to
na ni koso tatere
sakurabana
toshi ni marenaru
hito mo machikeri


---L.

About

Warning: contents contain line-breaks.

As language practice, I like to translate poetry. My current project is Chinese, with practice focused on Tang Dynasty poetry. Previously this was classical Japanese, most recently working through the Kokinshu anthology (archived here). Suggestions, corrections, and questions always welcome.

There's also original pomes in the journal archives.

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