Atop this crag
I am to spend a traveller's night;
So cold!
Your robes of moss,
Won't you lend me?
Notes
Poetic form Tanka
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According to the little bit of research I was able to find, Ono no Komachi had gone to a temple called Isonokami and, when it grew dark, she decided to return home with the dawn and stayed the night; someone said, "Henjô is here", so she sent him this to see what his reaction would be.
Very little is known about Henjô (816-?890), beyond the bare outlines of his life. As Yoshimine no Munesada, he served at the court of Emperor Nimmyô and took orders after his death. His aristocratic birth assured rapid promotion and he eventually reached the rank of sôsei, the highest position it was within the court's power to grant to a religious, hence he is usually given the appelation of 'Archbishop' in English. Ki no Tsurayuki named him as one of the 'Six Poetic Sages' in his preface to the Kokinshû, but only 35 poems of his survive in it and other anthologies. Today, he is best known for his bantering poetic exchanges with his contemporary, Ono no Komachi.
♥ Kimberly
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This leaves me feeling very sad for Ono no Komachi who is all alone on a steep or rugged rock. I feel the word 'cold' here refers to the cold night as well as brings out her loneliness because she is off the beaten track and away from other people. The word 'cold' is the kireji in this tanka{i.e., a word which draws the line to a natural end or pause}. 'Moss', I believe, implies a stone which has been left undisturbed for some time and Ono no Komachi is spending the night near the stone. It is a very well written tanka, deep and with a strong image and Kaori{pivot line} that blends the Kaminshu and Shimonoku very well together.
Charishma
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I found this sad, that the only form of comfort lay in a bed of moss....
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thanks all poem-lover
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Robes of moss - that is poetic
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Innovative use of moss for bedding material. Nice defense strategy against hypothermia. Perhaps the crag was too rocky for plentiful moss.
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The spirit does indeed live on within this poem, even though it was transated, and not perfectly, though I'm sure as close as it could have been. Loved the imagry.
Kate
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Your right Nam, in Japanese it does comply with the 5-7-5-7-7 onji, although the structure has been lost in the translation, I believe the spirit of the poem is still intact.
Andrew -
If this is in discourse to the end of her life, and not the beginning, it does speak on sadness very well. I have spent a few nights feeling like that in the piece. It isn't a good feeling but making out of it and continuing with a more balanced life is always the key and goal of one who does experience such an atrocity.
Tho, it doesn't work out that way for most, and it probably didn't for her.
It isn't 5-7-5-7-7 but, maybe it is in Japanese, and I should just not pay attention to that as it is in english.
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This is very vivid. It is a rare gift to be able to do such in so few words and in form. Very impressive
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I like this tanka, it could be seen with a touch on humour, although I don't think that is how it was intended.
A simply clear image.
Andrew
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