筑波嶺の

峰より落つる

男女川

恋ぞつもりて

淵となりぬる

ようぜいいん

つくばねの

みねよりおつる

みなのがわ

こいぞつもりて

ふちとなりぬる

Emperor Yozei

As from Tsukuba's peak

The turbulent stream

Of the Mina river stills down,

My love has gained

The depth of deep waters.

Hokusai

Emperor Yozei (869 - 949) was the 57th emperor of Japan. His reign lasted from 876 through 884, when he was deposed at age fifteen. He had some extravagant and violent habits. His son, Motoyoshi Shinno (poem 20), also wrote poetry. His name by birth was Sadakira Shinno. He sponsored poetry contests.

作者略伝と語釈

This poem plays with the sounds of the Japanese words and its double meanings. Mount Tsukuba, near the city with the same name, is known for its double peaks, which are seen as male and female. It is very fertile and bursts with vegetation. Here the Mina river has its source. Its name is written with the characters for man and woman. Koi means ‘love’, and also ‘deep’.

And 峰、みね、mine, or ‘peak’ resounds in Mina.

Mt. Tsukuba