Translation Help Please.

[Brian Hancock]

Hi All,

Just recieved a tanto from Aoi-Art and this is the Fuchi that is on it. Could someone give a translation? I think it may be a poem? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Brian.

[Markus]

Hi Brian,

 

This is a poem of Takarai Kikaku, one of the best pupils of Matsuo Bashô.

It was intended for praying for rain, and reads:

"Yûdachi ya ta o meguri no kami naraba" (夕立や田を三めぐりの神ならば)

"If I was just the god responsible for the evening shower and the fields."

[Brian Hancock]

Hi Markus,

 

Many thanks. Its a very big help.

 

Regards,

 

Brian

[Nobody]

"Yûdachi ya ta o meguri no kami naraba" (夕立や田を三めぐりの神ならば)

"If I was just the god responsible for the evening shower and the fields."

May I add a little correction?

"Yûdachi ya ta o mimeguri no kami naraba"

 

There are other interpretations such as ......

- An evening shower falls. That is natural if you are the god responsible for the fields.

- An evening shower falls. That must be the sign of the god watching the fields.

 

BTW, “ya” in the context Yudachi ya (夕立や) does not mean “and”.

[Brian Hancock]

Thank you Koichi San. Very much appreciated.

 

Brian.

[SteveM]

Koichi-san,

Did you think it was significant that the person used 「三めぐり」, rather than 「見めぐり」, which contains the kanji one would expect to see in this poem?

 

I read this as a kind of pun, replacing "God responsible for the fields" with "God from Mimeguri Shrine". (三囲神社). Or, maybe not a pun, but a kind of invocation of this god.

SteveM

(getting back into this after a long hiatus away from swords and tosogu)

　

[Nobody]

Steve, you are absolutely correct. I noticed the pun about 三めぐり and 見めぐり. I omitted the point only because of my lack of English ability.

 

Mimeguri Shrine: http://ocean-geek.ld.infoseek.co.jp/pho ... eguri.html