This is one of my favorite poems as of late:
| Japanese | Romanization | Translation |
| あしびきの | Ashibiki no | LONG is the mountain pheasant’s tail |
| 山鳥の尾の | Yamadori no ō no | That curves down in its flight; |
| しだり尾の | Shidari no ō no | But longer still, it seems to me, |
| ながながし夜を | naga nagashi yo wo | Left in my lonely plight, |
| ひとりかもねむ | hitori kamo nen | Is this unending night. |
The yamadori (山鳥) is actually a species of bird called the Copper Pheasant, known for its long tail. The poem is otherwise pretty straightforward. One thing I like about this poem, and why I have a particular interest in it, is the repetitive sounds using の (no) throughout. If you recite the poem out loud, it has a particular nice rhythm to it, and for me it is particular easy to memorize/recite. Try it out and you’ll see what I mean.
According to the Hyakunin Isshu Daijiten, there are certain birds in Japanese culture that are frequently used to represent autumn. In addition to the Copper Pheasant, other birds include:
- The wild goose (kari, 雁)
- The quail (uzura, うずら)
- The bull-headed shrike, Lanius bucephalus (もず)
The opening verse of this poem is also a nice example of pillow words in the Hyakunin Isshu.
As for Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, the author, he was one of the pre-eminent poets of the Asuka Period in Japan, and you can probably see why. While the poem looks like any other love poem, the composition, imagery, rhythm and such, make this one really stand out. 🙂
The Hyakunin Isshu 
Leave a Reply