Practise the thinking. Keep the judgement.
古への
Ise no Taifu · 伊勢大輔
古への
奈良の都の
八重ざくら
今日九重に
匂ひぬるかな
Historical kana
いにしへの
ならのみやこの
やへざくら
けふここのへに
にほひぬるかな
Original English translation
Double cherry blossoms from the old capital of Nara bloom today within the ninefold imperial court.
History and context
Ise no Taifu served at the Heian court. This poem connects flowers brought from Nara with the current imperial household, letting a seasonal offering link two capitals.
Imagery and wordplay
Yae, eightfold, and kokonoe, ninefold, pair layered petals with the court. Nioi here concerns radiant beauty as well as fragrance.
Shikashū · 詞花集春27
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.