Note that though we may be apart, if I am to hear that you pine for me as the Inaba mountain pines, I shall return to you.立ち別れ | Tachiwakare |
いなばの山の | inaba no yama no |
峰に生ふる | mine ni ouru |
まつとし聞かば | matsu to shi kikaba |
今帰り来む | ima kaeri-kon |
Ariwara no Yukihira 在原行平 (818–893) was a son of Prince Abo (阿保親王 Abo Shinnō; 792–842) and grandson of Emperor Heizei (平城天皇 Heizei Tennō; 773–824). He is considered to have been an older half-brother of Ariwara no Narihira 在原業平 (825–880; Hyakunin Isshu 17), although some theories suggest they could have been full brothers, their mother then being Narihira’s mother Imperial Princess Ito (伊都内親王 Ito naishinnō; ?–861).
Although son of a prince and grandson of an emperor, Yukihira lost his imperial status and was bestowed the name Ariwara 在原 at the age of nine. He then became a courtier and had a respectable career, holding numerous positions both in the capital and provinces.
From the year 840 he held many different offices, serving as Sovereign's Secretary (蔵人 kurōdo), Chamberlain (侍従 jijū), Assistant Captain of Right Division of Middle Palace Guards (右兵衛佐 Uhyōe no suke) and Minor Captain of Right Division of Inner Palace Guards (右近少将 Ukon shōshō).
In 855 he was appointed as governor of Inaba 因幡 province (eastern part of modern Tottori 鳥取 prefecture) and served there for two years. In decades after this appointment, Yukihira went on to serve as governor of Harima 播磨 (modern-day Hyōgo 兵庫 prefecture), Shinano 信濃 (modern Nagano 長野 prefecture), Bitchū 備中 (modern Okayama 岡山 prefecture) and Ōmi 近江 (modern Shiga 滋賀 prefecture) provinces, as well as the Governor-General of Dazaifu (大宰帥 Dazai no sotsu) in Kyūshū 九州. His career in the capital also continued, as he served as Assistant Minister at Ministry of War (兵部省 Hyōbushō) and Ministry of Central Affairs (中務省 Nakatsukasashō), as Imperial Consultant (参議 sangi) and Head Chamberlain (蔵人頭 kurōdo no tō), and as Minister of Civil Administration (治部卿 Jibukyō).
By 882 Yukihira had risen to the position of Middle Counselor or Chūnagon 中納言 and in 884 he reached the Senior Third Rank (正三位 shōsanmi). Between 884 and 887 he served as Minister of Popular Affairs (民部卿 Minbukyō) − the office he is often associated with. During this time he sponsored the oldest known poetry contest or utaawase 歌合, called Zai minbukyō no ie no utaawase 在民部卿家歌合 (Poetry Contest at the House of the Present Minister of Popular Affairs).
As his inclusion in the Hyakunin Isshu already suggests, Yukihira was a worthy poet. He composed in both Japanese and Chinese and his Chinese poetry is mentioned in the Chinese preface (真名序 Manajo) of Kokinshū 古今集(Collection of Early and Modern Japanese Poetry; 905), where author Ki no Yoshimichi 紀淑望 (d. 919) states:
There were masters of the elegant style, like the Ono Consultant [Takamura], and of the refined style, like the Ariwara Counselor [Yukihira], but all were known for their proficiency in Chinese poetry. (trans. Craig McCullough 1985, 258)
Despite the fact that only his poetry in Chinese is mentioned in the Kokinshū preface, Yukihira is attributed eleven waka 和歌 (Japanese poems) in imperial anthologies. But as is often the case with poets of 9th century, only his four poems in Kokinshū and another four in Gosenshū 後撰集 (Later Collection; 951) are considered authentic (Mostow 1996, 190).
If I am to hear that you pine for me...Yukihira‘s poem selected for the Hyakunin Isshu seems to be directly tied to his biography, and although in the eighth book of Kokinshū (Parting) the poem is preceded by words dai shirazu 題知らず (topic/occasion unknown), the poem itself suggests that it was created at the time Yukihira left for Inaba as a governor.
It is believed that the poem was read in front of people seeing him off to Inaba (Kubota 2009, 25), but a modern super-liberal interpretation by Sugita Kei 杉田圭 in Chōyaku Hyakunin Isshu: Uta Koi 超訳百人一首 うた恋い。(Volume 2) seems to suggest that the poem could be read as a letter for his wife, whom Yukihira left in the capital.
The poem stands out for its use of two kakekotoba 掛詞 or pivot words, which allow for layering of meanings while maintaining the 31-syllable waka form. In this poem the pivot words are inaba and matsu. Inaba is both a place name (written as 稲羽 or 因幡) and mizenkei 未然形 (imperfective) form of verb inu 往ぬ together with conjunctive particle ba, both together meaning “if [I] leave”. Matsu means both a “pine tree” (松) and “to wait”, “to pine for someone” (待つ), making it possibly the only Japanese word that translates its two possible meanings into English so closely.
Because kakekotoba work by being the end of one phrase and the beginning of another while taking two different meanings, this poem can be divided into three parts that when layered together convey the occasion, paint the landscape of the author’s destination, and serve as a promise of coming back:
立ち別れ往なば Tachiwakare inaba We separate, if I leave [Inaba] |
| |
| 稲羽の山の峰に生ふる松 Inaba no yama no mine ni ouru matsu On Inaba mountain peaks growing pines [wait] | |
| 待つとし聞かば今帰り来む matsu to shi kikaba ima kaerikon If I am to hear that you pine for me, immediately I will return to you. | |
The promise of coming back in the last of the three relative parts (which also corresponds of the lower half of the poem or shimo no ku 下の句) is the central, most impressive and moving part of the poem. Because coming back to the capital on short notice was almost impossible, it is a romantic rather than realistic promise, but introduced by effectively utilising the common waka trope of pivoting matsu, it is highly impactful and truly masterful, despite hardly lending itself to translation.
We part
whilst I leave for Inaba
mountain peak
pines, but if I am to hear that you do,
at once I will come home.
In Chihayafuru ちはやふる, many characters seem to have names that directly borrow from the poems. Some cases are obvious − Chihaya (chihayaburu; poem 17), Wakamiya Shinobu (shinoburedo; poem 40), Ōe Kanade (Ōeyama; poem 60), Hanano Sumire (hana no iro wa; poem 9), Tsukuba Akihiro (Tsukuba-ne no; poem 13); others − not so much: Wataya Arata (wata [no hara] ya; poem 11), Nishida Yūsei (yūsareba; poem 71).
And if there was a poem that was related to Taichi’s name, it would have to be this one – tachiwakare. Although it is not an exact match, the poem also roughly reflect the character’s actions in the story and at the same time implies that when Taichi leaves, he will return, as soon as he knows someone is waiting for him.
Though we part, if I am to hear that you pine for me as Inaba (If-I-Leave) mountain pines, I shall immediately return.
Illustrations
Square illustration: Nobunaga kontseruto 信長協奏曲〈コンツェルト〉, dir. Fujikawa Yuusuke 冨士川祐輔, Fuji TV, 2014. / Editing by the blog author.
Poet card: Chūnagon Yukihira by Katsukawa Shunshō 勝川春章 1775, carved and pained by David Bull in 1996.
Poem sheet: Chōyaku Hyakunin Isshu: Uta Koi 超訳百人一首 うた恋い, dir. Kasai Ken‘ichi カサヰケンイチ, TYO Animations, 2012. / Editing by the blog author.
Chihayafuru section: Chihayafuru 3 ちはやふる 3, dir. Asaka Morio 浅香守生 , Madhouse Inc., 2019–2020. / Editing by the blog author.