Hyakunin Isshu: Meet the Poets
Acting Middle Counselor Sadayori

Meaning

In the early dawn mist over the Uji River, here and there the wooden stakes of fish weirs begin to appear through the haze.

Commentary

This is a pure landscape poem with no love element. The gradual clearing of the mist to reveal the ajiro-gi (fish trap stakes) is rendered in precise, unhurried sensory detail. "Tae-dae ni" (intermittently) captures perfectly how mist dissipates in patches, not all at once.

Fujiwara no Sadayori was a talented poet — and also the man who famously tested Koshikibu no Naishi's wit (poem 60). His landscape poetry is admired for its precision and restraint. Uji was deeply associated with The Tale of Genji, adding literary resonance to this poem's quiet beauty.

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