Practise the thinking. Keep the judgement.
諸共に
Gyōson · 大僧正行尊
諸共に
あはれと思へ
山ざくら
花よりほかに
知る人もなし
Historical kana
もろともに
あはれとおもへ
やまざくら
はなよりほかに
しるひともなし
Original English translation
Mountain cherry, feel tenderness for me as I do for you; apart from your blossoms, I know no one here.
History and context
Gyōson was a Buddhist monk associated with mountain ascetic practice. The poem’s secluded setting makes the cherry tree a companion outside the society of the capital.
Imagery and wordplay
The request is mutual, not merely praise of a flower. A plant is addressed as someone capable of understanding.
Kin’yōshū · 金葉集雑上556
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.