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Ice Melts in the Wind: The Seasonal Poems of the Kokinshu
The Kokinshu, compiled around 905 C.E. in 20 thematic books, was the first imperial anthology of Japanese poetry. It was an enormous success, becoming a cultural touchstone that defined the acceptable topics, diction, imagery, and style of court poetry for the next thousand years. Haiku poets took many cues from this tradition, including giving primacy to seasonal imagery.Ice Melts in the Wind is an exciting new translation of the six books of seasonal poems, depicting the progression from New Year’s Day through spring cherry blossoms and summer cuckoo songs to autumn’s colorful leaves and winter’s snow, ending again with the New Year. Japanese text and commentary is included for every poem, along with brief biographies of all named poets.
240 pages, Paperback
Published November 2, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 1, 2020
SPRING
Author unknown
It must be desire
has so deeply dyed my heart,
that when I pluck it
the snow that hasn't vanished
appears to be spring flowers
---
Author unknown
In the springtime when
myriads of birds twitter,
each and every thing
renews once again, and yet
I myself keep growing old
---
Ise
Year after year,
the water that turned into
a flower mirror
should we say it clouds over
as petals scatter on it?
---
Ki no Tsurayuki
So starting this year
you've come to understand spring
O cherry blossoms,
would that you never be taught
the meaning of scattering
---
Oshikochi no Mitsune
As for the people
who come visit my garden
for flower viewing,
after they have all scattered
they indeed must be longed for
---
Author unknown
It's precisely for
scattering without remains
that you are admired
cherry blossoms, it's hateful,
remaining in this world
---
Author unknown
How they resemble
our cicada-shell world!
even while we watch
the flowering cherry bloom,
they're already scattering
---
Ki no Tsurayuki
The cherry blossoms
have scattered
in the wake of the winds
Rising up as waves
into a sky without water
---
Author unknown
Why should I resent
the scattering flowers?
isn't my body
also something that, like them,
decays in this world of ours?
SUMMER
Author unknown
O cuckoo who sings
in the summertime mountains,
if you have a heart,
do not make me hear your voice
I already feel so much
---
AUTUMN
Author unknown
When I see moonlight
filtering through the spaces
between the bare trees,
I realize it has come,
the melancholy autumn
---
Oe no Chisato
When I see the moon
Im filled with many thousands of sorrowful thoughts
Even though its not for me
Alone that autumn exists
---
Author unknown
Though they've not scattered
already I'm regretful
for I've gazed upon
the bright autumn leaves now at
the climax of their colors
---
Author unknown
In times of longing
I'd like to at least see these
and so reminisce
mountain storm-winds, do not blow
don't scatter the autumn leaves
---
Fujiwara no Okikaze
Seeing the color
of the waters that come down
from the deep mountains,
I've realized that indeed
it is the end of autumn
WINTER
Ki no Tsurayuki
When the snowflakes fall,
both the grasses and the trees,
dormant for winter,
are blossoming with flowers,
that are unknown in springtime
---
Kiyowara no Fukayabu
Although it's winter,
with this scattering of flowers
come down from the sky
might it be that it's springtime
away beyond the clouds?
---
Ariwara no Motokata
Every single time
the always-renewing year
comes to an end,
both the snow and my body
continue to ever fall
Author unknown
It must be desire
has so deeply dyed my heart,
that when I pluck it
the snow that hasn't vanished
appears to be spring flowers
---
Author unknown
In the springtime when
myriads of birds twitter,
each and every thing
renews once again, and yet
I myself keep growing old
---
Ise
Year after year,
the water that turned into
a flower mirror
should we say it clouds over
as petals scatter on it?
---
Ki no Tsurayuki
So starting this year
you've come to understand spring
O cherry blossoms,
would that you never be taught
the meaning of scattering
---
Oshikochi no Mitsune
As for the people
who come visit my garden
for flower viewing,
after they have all scattered
they indeed must be longed for
---
Author unknown
It's precisely for
scattering without remains
that you are admired
cherry blossoms, it's hateful,
remaining in this world
---
Author unknown
How they resemble
our cicada-shell world!
even while we watch
the flowering cherry bloom,
they're already scattering
---
Ki no Tsurayuki
The cherry blossoms
have scattered
in the wake of the winds
Rising up as waves
into a sky without water
---
Author unknown
Why should I resent
the scattering flowers?
isn't my body
also something that, like them,
decays in this world of ours?
SUMMER
Author unknown
O cuckoo who sings
in the summertime mountains,
if you have a heart,
do not make me hear your voice
I already feel so much
---
AUTUMN
Author unknown
When I see moonlight
filtering through the spaces
between the bare trees,
I realize it has come,
the melancholy autumn
---
Oe no Chisato
When I see the moon
Im filled with many thousands of sorrowful thoughts
Even though its not for me
Alone that autumn exists
---
Author unknown
Though they've not scattered
already I'm regretful
for I've gazed upon
the bright autumn leaves now at
the climax of their colors
---
Author unknown
In times of longing
I'd like to at least see these
and so reminisce
mountain storm-winds, do not blow
don't scatter the autumn leaves
---
Fujiwara no Okikaze
Seeing the color
of the waters that come down
from the deep mountains,
I've realized that indeed
it is the end of autumn
WINTER
Ki no Tsurayuki
When the snowflakes fall,
both the grasses and the trees,
dormant for winter,
are blossoming with flowers,
that are unknown in springtime
---
Kiyowara no Fukayabu
Although it's winter,
with this scattering of flowers
come down from the sky
might it be that it's springtime
away beyond the clouds?
---
Ariwara no Motokata
Every single time
the always-renewing year
comes to an end,
both the snow and my body
continue to ever fall
December 26, 2020
I studied this poetry in the original long ago, and I've read many translations of many of them. Larry Hammer's translations are as good at they come. I had to look for one of my favorite poems, Ki no Tomonori's "hisakata no/hikari nodokeki." Here's the lovely translation:
Gentle light shinees down
from the eternal heavens,
so on this spring day
why do the cherry blossoms
scatter with such restless hearts?
... It's verses like these that made me fall in love with Japanese poetry. Larry's translations capture the wonder and magic. Here's one more, from the monk Sosei, which contains that so-Japanese concept, aware (melancholy regret at the transience of things):
Is it I alone
who thinks, "Ah--so moving!"?
Japanese wild pinks
in the low light of evening
when the crickets are chirping.
This book provides graceful, light-touch introduction to the first four books of the Kokinshū; highly recommended.
Gentle light shinees down
from the eternal heavens,
so on this spring day
why do the cherry blossoms
scatter with such restless hearts?
... It's verses like these that made me fall in love with Japanese poetry. Larry's translations capture the wonder and magic. Here's one more, from the monk Sosei, which contains that so-Japanese concept, aware (melancholy regret at the transience of things):
Is it I alone
who thinks, "Ah--so moving!"?
Japanese wild pinks
in the low light of evening
when the crickets are chirping.
This book provides graceful, light-touch introduction to the first four books of the Kokinshū; highly recommended.
Read
November 15, 2018A gorgeous translation of Japanese seasonal poetry.
December 17, 2024
Buena presentación y formato. Los comentarios que acompañan los textos son interesantes y concisos. Como única mejora, se pudo haber añadido sin problema los textos originales en japonés y no solamente su transcripción en romaji. Altamente disfrutable.
Read
August 12, 2025Day 12 of the Sealey Challenge brought me this (when searching for Rumi). Beautiful! I have only read summer and the beginning of autumn, but will return to this!
Although to the eye it cannot clearly be seen that autumn has come, still I find myself surprised by the whisper of the breeze.
Although to the eye it cannot clearly be seen that autumn has come, still I find myself surprised by the whisper of the breeze.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews