2007-10-12

Woman vs flower vs frog

To wrap up the week of frogs, here's a detail from a Yoshitora print featuring a haiku by Onitsura (if I am reading those kanji on the right correctly):

山ぶきや咲かで蛙ハ水の底
The kerria flowers not, and the frog is deep underwater

I suppose the idea is that the woman is so beautiful that natural phenomena pale in comparison? If you have a better interpretation, please help me out. (Also note that both "kerria" and "frog" are associated with spring.)

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Joel:

"The kerria flowers not"? Blossom? Smile?

I remember the encountering a riotous outbreak of yamabuki one April (I think) as we rode up the Upper Watarase River Gorge toward Ashio (and Nikko beyond).

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Joel:

Looks as if I can't read today. The kerria flowereth not ... and the frog lieth deep in the throat. Spring is a long way off.

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Matt:

Ah, no, now that I look again, that's a rather unclear translation. I suppose that's what I get for trying to slack off on a Friday.

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