Fujiwaranoteika at 14:14, 15 June 2026

2026-06-15T14:14:07Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:14, 15 June 2026
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	== Analysis ==		== Analysis ==

			This is a basic ''mitate'' (“elegant confusion”) poem showing the white plums and moonlight confused for each other. It pairs with the previous poem – there, the poet used the scent to find the plums in the darkness, whereas here the poet uses the scent to tell the difference between plums and the bright white moonlight. The context of the poem could be an immediate composition on receiving the request (or picking the flower), or it could be a poem sent with the flower if the person asking is not actually present.

			The theme of confusion between white plums and snow is more common than moonlight (see poems [[KKS 334\|334]]-337 in this collection), although examples of the latter can be found in Chinese poetry.

	[[KKS 39\|Previous poem]] \| [[KKS 41\|Next poem]]		[[KKS 39\|Previous poem]] \| [[KKS 41\|Next poem]]

Fujiwaranoteika: Created page with "Previous poem | Next poem == Text == 月夜に「梅の花を折りて」と人の言ひければ、折るとてよめる On a moonlit night, someone said “pick me a plum flower,” so he picked one and read this. 躬恒 Ōshikōchi no Mitsune 月夜にはそれとも見えず梅の花香をたづねてぞしるべかりける {{PoemPair |orig= tsukiyo ni wa sore to mo mie-zu mume no hana ka o tazunete zo shiru bekari-..."

2026-06-15T14:13:06Z

Created page with "Previous poem | Next poem == Text == 月夜に「梅の花を折りて」と人の言ひければ、折るとてよめる On a moonlit night, someone said “pick me a plum flower,” so he picked one and read this. 躬恒 Ōshikōchi no Mitsune 月夜にはそれとも見えず梅の花香をたづねてぞしるべかりける {{PoemPair |orig= <poem> tsukiyo ni wa sore to mo mie-zu mume no hana ka o tazunete zo shiru bekari-..."

New page

[[KKS 39|Previous poem]] | [[KKS 41|Next poem]]

== Text ==

月夜に「梅の花を折りて」と人の言ひければ、折るとてよめる

On a moonlit night, someone said “pick me a plum flower,” so he picked one and read this.

躬恒

[[Ōshikōchi no Mitsune]]

月夜にはそれとも見えず梅の花香をたづねてぞしるべかりける

{{PoemPair
|orig=
<poem>
tsukiyo ni wa
sore to mo mie-zu
mume no hana
ka o tazunete zo
shiru bekari-keru
</poem>

|trans=
<poem>
On a moonlit night
It does not look like that at all
Plum flowers
It’s by following the scent
That I now have found it.
</poem>
}}

== Notes ==

;Someone
:The lack of honorifics in the preface suggest this is a friend, woman, or neighbor, rather than a patron or higher ranking figure.

Other sources:

* ''[[Kokin waka rokujō]]''
* ''[[Teika hachidaishō]]''

== Analysis ==

[[KKS 39|Previous poem]] | [[KKS 41|Next poem]]

[[Category:Spring]]
[[Category:Moon]]
[[Category:Plums]]

KKS 40 - Revision history

Fujiwaranoteika at 14:14, 15 June 2026