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A Hundred Verses from Old Japan (The Hyakunin-isshu), tr. by William N. Porter, [1909], at sacred-texts.com


p. 31

31

KORENORI SAKA-NO-UYE

SAKA-NO-UYE NO KORENORI

  Asaborake
Ariake no tsuki to
  Miru made ni
Yoshino no sato ni
Fureru shira yuki.

SURELY the morning moon, I thought,
  Has bathed the hill in light
But, no; I see it is the snow
  That, falling in the night,
  Has made Yoshino white.

Little is known about this poet, but he is said to have lived some time in the tenth century. Yoshino is a mountain village in the Province of Yamato, famous for its cherry blossoms; at one time it contained the Imperial Summer Palace. In the illustration we see the poet looking across at the village on the hills all covered with snow.


Next: 32. Tsuraki Harumichi: Harumichi no Tsuraki