Practise the thinking. Keep the judgement.
久方の
Ki no Tomonori · 紀友則
久方の
光のどけき
春の日に
しづごころなく
花の散るらむ
Historical kana
ひさかたの
ひかりのどけき
はるのひに
しづごころなく
はなのちるらむ
Original English translation
In the gentle light of a spring day, why do the blossoms scatter with such restless hearts?
History and context
Tomonori was a Kokinshū compiler. The poem belongs to its spring sequence, where flowers opening and scattering give the season an emotional narrative.
Imagery and wordplay
The calm sunlight contrasts with restless falling petals. Blossoms are imagined as having an unsettled mind.
Kokinshū · 古今集春下84
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.