Year
Translation
By Counselor Sadayori (Fujiwara no Sadayori, 995-1045)
On the light of dawn—
Faintly, slowly
Through the fog and mist
From Uji River
The fishing stakes appear
Original Japanese | Pronunciation |
権中納言定頼 | GonChunagon Sadayori |
朝ぼらけ | Asaborake |
宇治の川ぎり | Uji no kawagiri |
たえだえに | Tae-dae ni |
あらはれわたる | Araware wataru |
ぜぜの網代木 | Zeze no ajirogi |
Literal Notes
[Light of dawn / daybreak]
Uji ’s river [fog/mist/spray/duty/obligation]
Feebly/faint/bit-by-bit
[Appear/come into sight/are wholly/wash] [cross over/extend/span]
[Swallows/rapids/Zeze] ’s [net replace wood = fishing basket stakes]
Ajiroji are stakes of bamboo with baskets attached, stuck into the river to catch fish. “Seze” means shallows or rapids whereas “zeze” is the name of the place where the Uji River flows out of Lake Biwa. Different texts use either reading for this poem.