[24] この (Kono)

Poem Meaning and Background

Depiction of Kan Ke's poem by Hokusai

このたびは・ぬさもとりあへず・たむけやま

kono tabi wa・ nusa mo toriaezu・ Tamuke-yama

もみぢのにしき・かみのまにまに

momiji no nishiki・ kami no mani mani

〜 菅家（Kanke)

Translation

At the present time,

Since I could bring no offering,

See Mount Tamuke!

Here are brocades of red leaves,

As a tribute to the gods.

Meaning

This poem was written while the author Sugawara was traveling with Emperor Uda. The story goes that the trip was so sudden that they had not prepared the typical tributes that would be offered to the gods to pray for safety on such a journey. Typically, a staff with brightly colored streamers and paper cut up like confetti would be used in a prayer ceremony at a shrine along the way. The author is saying that instead of the typical offerings (which they forgot to bring), he would like to offer up the vibrant fall leaves to the gods instead, hoping that this would appease them.

幣（nusa) refers to the ritualistic items they forgot to bring. 手向山 (Tamuke-yama) means literally 神に手向をする山, which in English means roughly "a mountain where one makes an offering to a deity". Momiji no nishiki means that the momiji leaves are so vibrant that they resemble a beautiful and richly woven cloth (nishiki). Kami no mani mani is a traditional phrase used in prayer, with a meaning somewhat similar to "by the grace of god". 

Author

Kanke is a formal title for the author, whose real name was Sugawara no Michizane (845-903). He was a scholar, poet and politician who held several important positions in the Imperial Court. However, in 901 due to some maneuverings by a political rival, he was relegated to a lower position in Kyūshū and died in exile. 

Following his death, plague, and famine struck, and the sons of Emperor Daigo died one after the other. In addition, there were intense storms which caused flooding, and lightning repeatedly struck a hall in the Imperial Palace. These strange happenings led people to believe it was caused by the angry spirit of Sugawara. To appease him, they returned his title posthumously, and built a Shinto shrine, Kitano Tenman-gū, in his honor. For awhile, he was regarded as a deity of storms, but now is considered a kami of scholarship. As such, his shrine is a popular spot for students to go pray for success on tests. 

In Japan, you can find many Shinto shrines dedicated to Sugawara. Kitano Tenman-gū in Kyoto is now a popular viewing spot for ume (plum) blossoms, since many plum trees were planted there in honor of Sugawara's fondness for the tree. This shrine also hosts a monthly flea market on the 25th of each month.