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Japanese
English
Audio: NHK Creative Library
Read by LibriVox volunteer Larry Wilson.
Audio courtesy of LibriVox (Public Domain).
中納言行平
立ち別れ
いなばの山の
峰に生ふる
まつとし聞かば
今帰りこむ
まつとしき
かはいまか
へりこむ
たち
- Poem 16
- 立ち別れ
いなばの山の
峰に生ふる
まつとし聞かば 今帰りこむ
Author: Middle Counselor Yukihira (818–893)
Source: Kokin Wakashū, Parting
- English Verse Translation
- If breezes on Inaba's peak Sigh through the old pine tree, To whisper in my lonely ears
That thou dost pine for me,— Swiftly I'll fly to thee.
— William N. Porter, 1909
- Modern Translation
- I am leaving for the province of Inaba, where the pines grow on the mountain peak. If I hear that you are waiting for me, I will come back right away.
- Commentary
- This poem was composed for those who came to see him off as he departed the capital to take up his post as Governor of Inaba. Interestingly, this poem is also known as a charm — posted on a doorway, it is said to bring a lost pet back home. Perhaps it is the deep affection and the strong hope for reunion woven into the poem that carries through.
- About the Poet
- Middle Counselor Yukihira (Ariwara no Yukihira) was the second son of Prince Abo, himself a son of Emperor Heizei, and an elder half-brother of Ariwara no Narihira. A capable official, he rose through posts including Governor of Harima, Governor of Shinano, Head Chamberlain, and Deputy Governor-General of Dazaifu, eventually reaching the rank of Middle Counselor. At sixty-three he founded the Shōgakuin, a school for the Ariwara clan, and was also a devoted educator.
- Middle Counselor Yukihira's Chart of the Heart
-
A chart and a modern-language reflection of the poet's inner feelings.
The Poet's Feelings (A Personal Interpretation)
Parting is lonely, but
this farewell won't last forever.If I hear that you're waiting for me,
I will surely come home.
- Poem Illustration
-
This image is based on an illustration from William N. Porter's A Hundred Verses from Old Japan, his 1909 English translation of the Hyakunin Isshu published in England, colorized and reworked using Adobe Firefly (generative AI).