Session 10—Aki no uta from the Kokinshū and the Shin-Kokinshū
Topics for this session
The first autumn poem and some mid-autumn poems from the KKS
Introduction of the important poet: Ono no Komachi
Poems for this session
- 10 秋来ぬと目にはさやかに見えねども、風の音にぞ驚かれぬる。
- 11 木の間よりもり来る月のかげ見れば、心づくしの秋は来にけり。
- 12 白雲に羽うちかはし飛ぶ雁の数さへ見ゆる秋の夜の月。
Details
10 秋来ぬと目にはさやかに見えねども、風の音にぞ驚かれぬる。
あき | き | ぬ | と | め | に | は | さやかに | みえ | ね | ども | かぜ | の | おと | に | ぞ | おどろか | れ | ぬる
Collection: KKS 0169 • 秋上 (this is the first poem of the first book of autumn)
Author: 藤原敏行 (ふじわらのとしゆき) Died around 907, so about the time the 『古今集』 was completed. Also known for his calligraphy.
11 木の間よりもり来る月のかげ見れば、心づくしの秋は来にけり。
こ | の | ま | より | もりくる | つき | の | かげ | みれ | ば | こころづくし | の | あき | は | き | に | けり
Collection: KKS 0184 • 秋上 (about in the middle of the first book of autumn)
Author: 小野小町 (おののこまち) This poem is officially listed as 詠み人知らず but it is traditionally attributed to Komachi. She is a mid-ninth century poet (which makes her about half a century earlier than when the 『古今集』 was complied, thus her style is called "old" by Ki no Tsurayuki in the preface to that collection), sometimes paired with Ariwara Narihira as the female counterpart to his male irogonomi ways. And she's important so let's introduce her. Read Wiki Introductory passage, Life and Legends: Ono no Komachi. Learn this thumbnail sketch (from 2001 Waka at the link noted below):
Komachi is, perhaps, the earliest and best example of a passionate woman poet in the Japanese canon, outshining her contemporary Ise, and starting a tradition continued by Izumi Shikibu in a later age and Yosano Akiko in the modern one. She is also, perhaps, the most skilled user of kakekotoba of her time, and the writer of some of the most intense and accessible poetry in the canon.
If interested, the Japanese wiki has a list of her poems under 作品: 小野小町. See also 2001 Waka.
For translations of her poems see Ink Dark Moon and Komachi: Poems, Stories, No Plays.
Here's how Ki no Tsurayuki describes her poems in his famous preface to the 『古今集』：
をののこまちはいにしへのそとほりひめの流なり あはれなるやうにてつよからす いははよきをうなのなやめる所あるににたり つよからぬはをうなのうたなれはなるへし
（小野小町は、古の衣通姫の流なり。哀れなるようにて、強からず。言わば、良き女の悩める所あるに似たり。強からぬは、女の歌なればなるべし。）
12 白雲に羽うちかはし飛ぶ雁の数さへ見ゆる秋の夜の月。
しらくも | に | はね | うちかはし | とぶ | かり | の | かず | さへ | みゆる | あき | の | よ | の | つき
Collection: KKS 0191 • 秋上 (about in the middle of the first book of autumn)
Author: よみ人しらず
Special requests for preparing this poem
- Web search (images): 雁 ... you don't even need to open any of these images, you should immediately get the visual idea form just the results page
Poems are covered in the order presented. We may not be able to discuss all poems listed. It is likely that I will add links and preparing requests as we go along, even in the last hour before class. There is no class participation grade so all of this work is optional, but interesting, and will enhance your ability to share in the session. Poem details are given in class and not repeated. Take excellent notes. They are the basis for the test. Our course goals in order of priority: 1) above all, appreciation of the poem as a poem, 2) understanding the components of the poems (the words in their function as grammar and their history in poems), 3) details of authors and collections. Prepare with these priorities in mind.