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MOTHER, for thy sake I have been
Where the wakana grow,
To bring thee back some fresh green leaves
And see--my koromo
Is sprinkled with the snow!
Kwōkō was raised to the throne by the Fujiwara family, when the mad Emperor Yōzei was deposed; he reigned A.D. 885-887, and is said to have composed this verse in honour of his grandmother.
Wakana, literally 'young leaves', is a vegetable in season at the New Year; a koromo is really a priest's garment, but is used here for the Emperor's robe.
In the picture we see the Emperor gathering the fresh green leaves, and the snow falling from the sky.
