[4] たご（Tago)

Poem Meaning and Background 

A white-capped Mt. Fuji

たごのうらに・うちいでてみれば・しろたへの

Tago no ura ni・uchi idete mireba・shirotae no

ふじのたかねに・ゆきはふりつつ

Fuji no takane ni・yuki wa furi tsutsu

~山部赤人 (Yamabe no Akahito)

Translation

When I take the path 

To Tago's coast, I see

Perfect whiteness laid

On Mount Fuji's lofty peak

By the drift of falling snow

Meaning

    A straightforward poem expressing the beauty of Mt. Fuji in winter, capped with white. In Japanese, it says that "the snow continues to fall on Mt. Fuji's peak". From the ground, it would be impossible to literally see the snow falling, so the author is imagining this seemingly endless snowfall at the top of Mt. Fuji. This poem captures the quiet awe of observing a majestic Mt. Fuji rising tall in the distance. 

Author

      Yamabe no Akahito (dates unknown) lived during the Nara period and served as a poet in the court of Emperor Shomu. He is known for his masterful poetry describing the beauty of natural scenery and is ranked among the "Thirty-Six Immortal Poets". His poems can also be found in the Man'yōshū.