Translation
Spring begins though
Snow is falling still:
The cuckoo
Sings a cry
On the plum tree bough.
Commentary
This poem is set in the beginning of spring, though winter lingers through falling snow. The key wordplay here is “naku,” which can mean either “to cry/weep” or “to sing,” depending on the kanji. However, the poem only shows the pronunciation, not the kanji, so it could mean either one. Thus, the reader could interpret the poem as a bird crying (or singing) on a plum tree bough while snow is falling in the beginning of spring. Usually a bird sings, but given the context of snow falling when it is supposed to be warm, crying is a fanciful way of looking at it.
Japanese | Pronunciation |
よみ人しらず | Yomihito shirazu |
梅がえに | Ume ga e ni |
きゐるうぐひす | Kiiru uguisu |
はるかけて | Haru kakete |
なけどもいまだ | Nakedomo imada |
雪はふりつつ | Yuki wa furitsutsu |
Translation Notes
Plum/Japanese-apricot branch/bough/drawing/bay [at]
Comes cuckoo/bush-warbler/Japanese-nightingale
Spring/far-off/remote begins/passes
Sing/cry/weep though as-yet/hitherto/still/not-yet
Snow [is] falling
Year:
2012
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