Ume(Japanese plum) blossoms are herald of spring.
Peculiarly when I see some crimson ones which are just at beginning to bloom, I cannot help imaging of them to start to set fire on the top branches of various sort of trees to open up one after another.
And in this season I remember this tanka poem in which the writer Fujiko Ishikawa(1933~ )expresses her excessive desire for seeing some crimson plum blossoms.
紅梅が見たしと思ふ 唐突にせつぱつまりし如くに見たし 石川不二子
(Abruptly a feeling came to me; an eager hope to see some red plum blossoms now.)
White plum blossoms seem to flourish more quietly.
Here is a plum garden which is nearby my living quarter, where various coloured plum blossoms can be seen.
These darkened trunks with bright blossoms remind me of a picture, one of Ukiyo-e
, by Hiroshige Utagawa.(1797~1858)(from website)
And the one by Van Gogh(1853~1890) being influenced with the former picture.(from website)
There are two types of plum garden; one is for pleasure of viewing flowers like this garden and the other is for gathering plum fruits as well as for flowers which has been done from olden days.
Toyohiro Utagawa(1773~1828)(picture from website)
Later I called in a park, man made but looks quite natural, being located not far from the plum garden.
I came here last spring as well, to see wild white plum blossoms that have another effect.
去年（こぞ）も来し疎林の奥の明るめり 一歳老いて咲ける白梅
I came to see you,
a wild plum tree
You brighten the depth of the bush just as the last year
despite of you're one year older
haricot
13 件のコメント:
A red plum tree is in our garden. Before when it was in full bloom, it was very cute. And we got fruits of it and made umeboshi or ume-syrup. But my husband cut branches one day. After that we can't get fruits much.There is a proverb about this,isn't there?
Hello,Haricot.
Ume blossoms are always quiet and modest,even at full-bloomed time.
The beauty is fitted to eary spring.
Your tanka is meaningful especially for my(our)age.
Thank you for sharing your tanka and photos!
So, which type are you, red ume blossoms which give a person abrupt, strong desire to see them or white ume blossoms which bloom quietly to hint sweet expectation?
Thoughts are beautifully contained in your tanka. Thank you.
Sarah, thank you for this comment.
According a proverb, cutting branches of plum trees is right, even we will have less fruits consequently. In my yard there is a tree in its season it has pinkish ume flowers which are a little too sugary.
redrose, thank you for your comment.
After I started to live in Nara, it's already long time has passed, I'm longing for coming spring. Nara isn't snowy but after 3:00pm it's getting chill and the sun light already starts to be tinged with dusk.
Ume blossoms are big comfort for me.
stardust, I think I have two aspects; being impulsive and tending to brood on. Sometimes my mind and heart are to and fro between them.
On the occasion I have to choose one for me, I will be for white one after a long hesitation.
Thank you for the comment.
For me Fujiko Ishikawa seems to have loved someone. She mentioned her strong desire to see someone by composing the poem of red ume blossoms.
I think you are both of red and white ume blossoms.
Ume blossoms are decent and classy. sometimes I feel sorry for Ume blossoms as people put more interest on Sakura・・・
The imagery that crimson ume flower lights the bare branch one by one is so nice.
The bottom picture is Yata Kyuryo?
I'm thinking of going to Oiwake Bairin and I remember walking from Yata Kyuryo to the Bairin ( if I remember correctly)
Your opinion about the upper tanka is convincing.
Thank you for this comment, snowwhite.
I vaguely thought that , but actually I read it as her idea just about viewing red flowers in early spring.
Yes, it is Yata kyuryo, which was too early for ume blossoms.
I also visited Oiwake Bairin, where I could not yet see any flowers, either.
I composed the tanka remembering the scene in the last spring.
Hello, haricot.
Japanese apricot...
It forces it to incense.
And ways of the branch are elegant.
"Flower" is Japanese apricot for me.
Thank you for your visit.
ruma
Thank you, ruma, for this comment.
I leanred that it's Japanese apricot correctly.
It's silence presence is attractive and gives me some hope.
«Louis» enjoyed viewing the blossoms in this poetic post.
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