Kokinshu 38
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Text
梅花を折りて人にをくりける
とものり
きみならで 誰にか見せむ 梅花 色をもかをも しる人ぞしる
Translation
If not you, then who can I show it to? The plum flower -- both the color and the scent, the people who know it know it.
Notes
- しる人ぞしる
- That is, people who have the proper understanding of things can appreciate the flowers.
Analysis
The Template:Denju 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, Template:Denju's statement that there is no 義 to the poem suggests that not everyone shared this allegorical view.
As we move into more recent commentary, Template:Modern sees this as a 述懐 poem suggesting that the recipient knows Tomonori's heart, whereas Template:Modern 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.
In terms of the arrangement of poems, this continues with the idea of having 梅の花 as the third line of the poem, and 37 is very similar.
