KKS 38
Text
梅の花を折りて人に贈りける
He broke off a plum flower and sent it to someone.
友則
君ならでたれにか見せん梅花色をも香をも知る人ぞ知る
|
kimi nara-de |
If it's not you |
Notes
- Those who know it, know it.
- That is, people who have the proper understanding of cultured things can appreciate the flowers.
Other sources:
Analysis
In terms of the arrangement of poems, this continues with the idea of having "plum blossoms" as a kind of hinge in the third line of the poem. The focus on the color and scent is also similar to the previous poem.
Tō no Tsuneyori takes a philosophical interpretation of the poem, saying that it refers not only to knowing the scent and color of flowers, but also to knowing the hearts of people. However, the Eigashō's statement that there is no gi ("meaning") to the poem suggests that not everyone shared this allegorical view even in the medieval period.
As we move into more recent commentary, Kaneko(1927) sees this as a jukkai poem suggesting that the recipient knows Tomonori's heart, whereas Kubota(1937) thinks it simply praises the recipient's elegant understanding of nature. Katagiri seems to be the only recent commentator who agrees with Kaneko. Takeoka brings in the idea of the plum being an expression for the poet (thus this poem is in a woman's voice), but Katagiri rejects that idea.
The poem also appears in the collection of Minamoto no Saneakira, as part of a poetic exchange. The man visits the woman but is unable to meet her. He composes a poem suggesting she is seeing another man, and the woman responds with this. If this is not a fictional exchange, it shows that these KKS poems were later taken and used in real situations.
