Kokinshu #62
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.
ada nari to
na ni koso tatere
sakurabana
toshi ni marenaru
hito mo machikeri
---L.
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.