Hyakunin Isshu

6.

かささぎの
渡せる橋に
置く霜の
白きを見れば

夜ぞふけにける

Translation-

When I see the whiteness
of the frost that lies
on the bridge the magpies spread,
then do I know, indeed,
that the night has deepened.

Notes-

The poet of this poem, Otomo no Yakamochi, had quite a turbulent life. He is also the poet of a very famous compilation, Manyoshu, which was compiled, tragically enough, after his death. He is also one of the 36 Poetic Immortals. His poetry is often melancholy rather than tragic, exquisitely phrased rather than explosively intense. This particular poem was based on the legend of Tanabata.

The Legend Of Tanabata-

The story of Tanabata revolves around Princess Orihime(which is a constellation). She was a weaver who made beautiful pieces of cloth by the heavenly river, also known as the Milky Way. Because Orihime spent most of her time weaving, she became very sad and felt that she would never find love. Her father, who was God of the Heavens, knew of a good young man who lived just across the Milky Way. His name was Hikoboshi (also a constellation), and he was a cow herder. In the story of Tanabata, the two fell in love instantly. However, their love for each other was so deep that they neglected their duties. Orihime stopped weaving and Hikoboshi's cows wandered the heavens.

Seeing this, the God of the Heavens became very angry and forbade the two lovers to be together. But he was also the father of Orihime and loved her deeply. Seeing his daughter's miserable state, he arranged that they could meet up once a year if Orihime returned to her weaving. This day became the 7th day of the 7th month.

Finally, the long-awaited day arrived, but the Milky Way was too difficult for both of them to cross. A flock of magpies (gorgeous long tailed birds) saw Orihime's sadness. Compassionately, they made a bridge for her (with their wings spread) so she could cross and reunite with her lover. Many say that when it rains on Tanabata, the magpies cannot come and the lovers have to wait another year.

Poem Interpretations-

The term "Magpie's Bridge" in the poem is used to refer to the bridge or stairs leading up to palace buildings. So the poet is waiting for his beloved inside the palace. But when he sees frost on the actual bridge or staircase, he realizes that the night had grown old, but his lover never came. 

This interpretation reminds me of a famous Chinese novel- Hua Hua You Long, which caters the story of a powerful king who fell in love with a mountain Bandit, Lu Cang. Their romance was like an open secret to the entire dynasty. The king, Jing, loved Lu Cang very deeply, but being a same sex couple brought some complications for the couple. Despite everyone knowing, Jing could not marry Lu Cang, or label him as his royal partner. Lu Cang would often wait for Jing in his chambers, just the way it has been explained in this poem, and sometimes late, sometimes early, Jing would appear to be with his beloved.

Another possible interpretation is that - while the poet waits for his lover on a dark, cold winter night, standing on the end of a bridge, he looks up at the sky, gazing at the constellations of Orihime and Hikoboshi, he sees frost on the bridge and realizes that dawn is close, and the night has indeed deepened (the night has run it's course) and he would not be united with his lover this night.

Both interpretations bring out the theme of loneliness which engulfs one who had been patiently waiting for the opportunity to be united with their beloved.