Practise the thinking. Keep the judgement.
君がため
Emperor Kōkō · 光孝天皇
君がため
春の野に出でて
若菜つむ
わが衣手に
雪は降りつつ
Historical kana
きみがため
はるののにいでて
わかなつむ
わがころもでに
ゆきはふりつつ
Original English translation
For your sake I went into the spring fields to pick young greens; snow keeps falling on my sleeves.
History and context
The Kokinshū presents this as a poem accompanying a gift of young greens. Gathering spring herbs was both seasonal practice and a way to express care through a modest offering.
Imagery and wordplay
Spring growth and lingering snow coexist. The wet sleeve records the effort made for another person.
Kokinshū · 古今集春上21
Japanese text and historical kana follow the linked Wikisource transcription. Classical poems can have variant spellings and wording in different anthologies. The source anthology reference identifies the version represented in this collection, not necessarily its earliest surviving text. English prose translations and reading notes are original interpretations; some wordplay permits more than one reading.