Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each): Poem 96 (Fujiwara no Kintsune)

   Hyakunin Isshu, Poem 96

Translation and comments by Ad Blankestijn
(version September 2022)

the blossoms lured to the garden
by the storm wind
are not snow that has fallen -
what withers and falls away
are the years of my life!

hana sasou
arashi no niwa no
yuki nara de
furi yuku mono wa
waga mi nari keri

花さそふ
あらしの庭の
雪ならで
ふりゆくものは
わが身なりけり

Fujiwara (Saionji) no Kintsune 西園寺公経 (1171-1244)

The blossoms that have been scattered (furi) by the storm wind like fallen snow, are in fact not snow, therefore they are not fallen (furi): the only thing that is falling and growing old (furi) is the poet himself.

Notes

- hana sasou arashi: "the (cherry-) blossoms lured by the storm"
- yuki: Kintsune plays with the hackneyed "elegant confusion" between blossoms and snow.
- narade: "-de" is a negation. "
- furiyuku: pun (kaketotoba) meaning both "to fall (of the snow/cherry blossoms)" and "to grow old (of the poet)." This also refers to Ono no Komachi's verse in the Hyakunin Isshu (poem 9) in which the same pun occurs.
- narikeri: "nari" is an assertion, "-keri" indicates an exclamation, as if the poet only now realizes he is growing old.

The Poet

Fujiwara no Kintsune was the progenitor of the Saionji family, and is therefore also called "Saionji Kintsune." He was on intimate terms with the Kamakura bakufu, as evidenced by his marriage to a niece of Minamoto no Yoritomo and eventually became the grandfather of the shogun Yoritsune. He was held in confinement by Cloistered Emperor Go-Toba during the Jokyu War, but managed to alert the bakufu of what was happening in advance, and thereby contributed to the bakufu's eventual victory. After the war, his bond with the bakufu became stronger than ever, so that in 1222 he was promoted to High Chancellor and raised to Juichi-i (Junior First Rank) the following year in 1223, until he, along with his adopted son-in-law, Kujo Michiie, controlled all the real power at the imperial court. He also worked as Kanto Moshitsugi, or Shogunal Liaison at Court, exerting himself to mediate between bakufu and court. Kintsune's granddaughter Kitsushi became Emperor Gosaga's Empress, whereby Kintsune became maternal relatives with Imperial Prince Hisahito (who later became Emperor Gofukakusa). With this, the Saionji family established their precedent of producing Empresses, and in addition, used this as the impetus to forge close ties between the Jimyoin imperial lineage (the genealogy beginning with Emperor Gofukakusa) and the bakufu. Kintsune had the rare honor of being the grandfather of the Shogun, the Emperor, the Empress, and the Sekkan.

The family name Saionji comes from the fact that Kintsune had a temple called Saionji built on the spot which later became Kinkakuji Temple in Kyoto. Starting with Kintsune, the Saionji family became hereditary holders of the Kanto Moshitsugi (shogunal liaison to court) position for the rest of the Kamakura period.

At the age of 60. Kintsune took the tonsure to study under the famous priest Myoe, leaving behind his busy political life. It is possible that the above poem as written around that time, in 1231.

Teika was married to Kintsune's older sister and received his patronage. Kintsune was active in court poetic circles and is the fourth best represented poet in the Shinchokusenshu, which Teika edited. He has 114 poems in the Shinkokinshu and other imperial anthologies.

Visiting

The garden of Kinkakuji Temple (of course without the Golden Pavilion!) goes back to Kintsune's Saionji and speaks of the wealth of this statesman.

References: Pictures of the Heart, The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua S. Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996); One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, by Peter MacMIllan (Penguin Classics); Traditional Japanese Poetry, An Anthology, by Steven D. Carter (Stanford University Press, 1991); Hyakunin Isshu by Inoue Muneo, etc. (Shinchosha, 1990); Genshoku Hyakunin Isshu by Suzuki Hideo, etc. (Buneido, 1997); Chishiki Zero kara no Hyakunin Isshu, by Ariyoshi Tamotsu (Gentosha); Hyakunin Isshu Kaibo Zukan, by Tani Tomoko (X-Knowledge);  Ogura Hyakunin Isshu at Japanese Text Initiative (University of Virginia Library Etext Center); Hyakunin Isshu wo aruku by Shimaoka Shin (Kofusha Shuppan); Hyakunin Isshu, Ocho waka kara chusei waka e by Inoue Muneo (Chikuma Shoin, 2004); Basho's Haiku (2 vols) by Toshiharu Oseko (Maruzen, 1990); The Ise Stories by Joshua S. Mostow and Royall Tyler (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010); Kokin Wakashu, The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford University Press, 1985); Kokinshu, A Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern by Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius (University of Tokyo Press, 1984); Kokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1994); Shinkokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1995); Taketori Monogatari-Ise Monogatari-Yamato Monogatari-Heichu Monogatari (Shogakkan, 1994).

    Photos: my own work.

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