Spring is Coming: Manyoshu Poem 1418

This was a particularly nice poem that I found in the Manyoshu heralding early Spring.

Original Manyogana	Japanese	Romanization	Rough Translation
石激	石いわ走る	Iwa bashiru	Are not
垂見之上乃	垂水たるみの上の	Tarumi no ue no	the bracken buds
左和良妣乃	さわらびの	Sawarabi no	sprouting next to a
毛要出春尓	萌え出いづる春に	Moe-izuru haru ni	waterfall
成来鴨	なりにけるかも	Narinikeru kamo	the first sign of Spring?

This poem was composed by Shiki no Miko or Prince Shiki (志貴皇子, ? – 716), who was the seventh son of Emperor Tenji (poem 1 in the Hyakunin Isshu). Unlike his siblings who were embroiled in the political strife of the times, Prince Shiki retreated and focused on poetry instead. His talents with poetry earned him a place in the Manyoshu, and Japanese poetic history.

Ironically, despite staying out of succession struggles, Prince Shiki’s own son, Prince Shirakabe later ascended the throne as Emperor Kōnin despite not being the dominant line, and all subsequent emperors in Japan are descended from him. So, in the end, Prince Shiki won afterall.

The poem itself evokes a truly wonderful image of a tiny sprout peeking through the rocks by a riverbank, heralding the first signs of spring.

Note that in the traditional Japanese calendar, based off the Chinese model, Spring started much later than the modern meteorological Spring, namely at the start of the second lunar month. Hence, the holiday of Setsubun relates to the start of Spring, and helps conclude the Lunar New Year. Plum blossoms are also frequently associated with this time of year since they bloom earlier than cherry blossoms, and were highly prized by poets of Manyoshu, as we can see in this poem (also posted here):

Original Manyogana	Modern Japanese	Romanization	My Rough Translation
和何則能尓	我が園に	Waga sono ni	Perhaps
宇米能波奈知流	梅の花散る	Ume no hana chiru	the plum blossoms will
比佐可多能	ひさかたの	Hisakata no	scatter in my garden
阿米欲里由吉能	天より雪の	Ama yori yuki no	like gleaming snow
那何久流加母	流れ来るかも	Nagarekuru kamo	from the heavens

So, a happy spring to you all!