Brocade Project Waka 3 NOIN

#update bumping this a year later 2015 cos its "seasonal" late autumn / winter my time zone / hemisphere #autumn #waka #noin #japanesepoetry #poetry

Okay here's a waka by Nooin 11th century AD

( My arm has finally improved enuff to allow typing with BOTH hands instead of ONE finger!)

Arashi fuku / mimuro no yama no / momiji ba wa /
tatsuta no kawa no / nishiki narikeri

This is another of those waka that seem deceptively simple but when you contemplate it realise  each syllable works in exquisite harmony with others.

Arashi fuku a fierce wind blowing down off the mountains

Mimuro yama is an area south east of Kyoto

Momiji ba wa maple leaves

Tatsuta is a river which currently has a special riverside path and park

nishiki narikeri brocade become like

the wind has scattered the leaves all over the river's surface

so prosaic a statement in English and yet poetic in Japanese !