Practise the thinking. Keep the judgement.
瀧の音は
Fujiwara no Kintō · 大納言公任
瀧の音は
たえて久しく
なりぬれど
名こそ流れて
なほ聞えけれ
Historical kana
たきのおとは
たえてひさしく
なりぬれど
なこそながれて
なほきこえけれ
Original English translation
The waterfall’s sound has long since ceased, yet its name flows on and can still be heard.
History and context
Kintō was a leading critic and court poet. The poem is associated with the former waterfall at Daikakuji, where reputation outlasts the physical feature once admired.
Imagery and wordplay
Nagare, flowing, moves from water to fame. Sound survives figuratively after the water has stopped.
Senzaishū · 千載集雑上1035
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.