春歌上はるのうたじゃう

Spring Volume 1 - 67 poems

The "Ritsurekishi" volume of the Chronicles of Han says: "春 is 蠢 (movement). The moving creatures are born."
Teacher says: The spring, autumn, and miscellaneous volumes are divided into two books because the number of poems is large.

1

ふるとしに春たちける日よめる

This is the start of spring in the old year.
Sogi says: The use of ふるとし in this preface is to bring past and present together. The spirit of Tsurayuki is the same as the spirit of Hitomaro. And also the heart of the current Emperor is the same as that of Emperor Monmu. Since they found a poem that exactly captured this feeling, they wrote this.

在原元方ありはらのもとかた

The grandson of Narihira and the son of Muneyari. He was the foster child[?] of Grand Counselor Kunitsune.
Sogi says: There is no hidden meaning to this author. [It was entered here due to special consideration?] Therefore, it was because of his skill at poetry that he appears first in the collection.

としのうちに春はきにけり一年をこぞとやいはんこ年とやいはん

Sogi says: There is no meaning to this poem other than what is given in the prose preface. This is the main form of poems in this collection. [Ki no Tsurayuki's poetry also understood this meaning?]. This poet gained glory from being the first in the collection.
The Asukai Commentary says: Within the fixed time of one year, did the spring come in this year or last year? This poem uses "year" four times; we cannot do that now.
Sogi says: Both "past" and "present" are in this poem.
My teacher says: The 古 is in "last year" and the 今 is in "this year". The Eishoki of Taisho also says the same.
The Eiseiki says: This poem was put at the head, having no hidden meaning. It is written just about the start of spring in the old year. The writing of direct poetry with no hidden meaning is the main style of this collection.

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