[Picture Book Fukujuso] (5) Cudweed / Chinese Milk Vetch / Wood Sorrel / Radish Flower
Cudweed
(Gnaphalium affine) "Bencao"
In the village of flowers, unaware of the heart,
I pick them one by one in the spring fields,
to make mother-and-child rice cakes. Izumi Shikibu
* "Cudweed" (hahakogusa) refers to Gogyo, one of the Seven Spring Herbs.
* "Gnaphalium affine" is the herbal medicine name for cudweed. (Sokikusou).
* "Mother-and-child rice cakes" (hahakomochi) refers to rice cakes made with cudweed. It is said that in ancient times, there was a custom of eating these rice cakes on the third day of the third month, the Joshi Festival (Peach Festival).
* Regarding "pick them one by one" (hara-hara tsumeru), the "hara-hara" part is written as "hafu-hafu" or "iro-iro" depending on the document.
* Reference: "Plants and Art (Joshi Festival and Cudweed)", "Kojitsu Sosho Teijo Zakki", "Nihon Shakai Ji-i Vol. 2, 3rd Edition", "Kokka Taikan Zoku Kashu, Expanded and Revised Edition", "Fuboku Wakasho [Main Volume]", "A Study of Plants Appearing in Japanese Literature" (National Diet Library Digital Collections)
Chinese Milk Vetch
(Astragalus sinicus) "Yefu"
The warbling of the nightingale is also wonderful,
at the time of picking Chinese milk vetch in the fields.
Jusanmi Kimmichi (Note: ■ is 艹+宋)
* "Jusanmi Kimmichi" refers to the mid-Edo period court noble, Kinmichi Saionji. Lord Saionji Jusanmi Kinmichi.
Reference: "Elementary School Reader Character Explanation (Chinese Milk Vetch)", "Agricultural Illustrations Vol. 2 (Chinese Milk Vetch)" (National Diet Library Digital Collections)
Wood Sorrel SUIMONOGUSA
Oxalis "Bencao" Oxalis "Kyuko"
The mirror grass growing beside the wood sorrel,
even the dew polishes its reflection in the moon.
Lord Tameie
* "Growing" (ohitaru) means to grow.
* "Mirror grass" (kagamigusa) refers to the mirror grass.
* Reference: "Reprint of '800 Bird Poems' in the Iwakuni Chokokan Collection" (Hiroshima Prefectural University Academic Information Repository)
Radish Flower, Suzushiro, Oone
Radish "Bencao"
"Nenguki"
Among the early blooming grasses, the mirror grass,
I have prepared it as an offering for the New Year.
* "Mirror grass" (kagamigusa) refers to Kagamigusa. It is said that the radish placed on top of rice cakes at the Imperial Palace on the second day of the New Year is called "gagamigusa".
* "Mitsuki" refers to tribute.
Blooms from the bottom of the flower to the tip
* Reference: "Kokon Yoranko Vol. 6", "Moshio-gusa: Waka", "Makino Botanical Collection Vol. 6" (National Diet Library Digital Collections)
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For the literature cited in this work, please refer to this note. → [Picture Book Adonis] Literature Summary
Author's Note: ● indicates characters that could not be deciphered, and □ indicates kanji that cannot be displayed on a computer.
I will update this as needed when new characters are deciphered or when I notice typos or misreadings. For details, please read the "Self-Introduction/Disclaimer".📖