Kokin Wakashū · Heian Period · ca. 850

An Exiled Prince's Tears at Suma Beach, Japan, 850 CE

わくらばに問ふ人あらば須磨の浦に藻塩たれつつわぶと答えよ

wakuraba ni / tou hito araba / suma no ura ni / moshio taretsusu / wabu to kotaeyo

If by rare chance someone asks of me, tell them I weep at Suma's shore, dripping brine with the burning seaweed, lost in sorrow.

— Ariwara no Yukihira (在原行平)

About the Poet

Ariwara no Yukihira (818-893) was a Heian-period courtier, poet, and grandson of Emperor Heizei. Born into the highest aristocracy, he held various government positions but is best remembered for his exile to Suma Beach around 850 CE, an event that would echo through Japanese literature for centuries. His banishment, possibly due to political intrigue, transformed Suma into a symbol of elegant melancholy. Yukihira's lonely years watching salt-makers burn seaweed became the archetypal image of noble suffering. His story later inspired the immortal 'Tale of Genji,' where Prince Genji's exile to Suma directly references Yukihira's poetry. The Noh play 'Matsukaze' also commemorates his romantic entanglement with two local sisters during his exile. Yukihira's poetry appears in the prestigious Kokin Wakashū anthology, cementing his place among Japan's literary greats. Today, visitors to Suma can walk the same shores where this aristocrat-poet contemplated his fate, making his verses feel remarkably accessible across twelve centuries.

Suma Beach, Kobe, Hyogo

Suma Beach stretches along Kobe's western coastline, where mountains meet the Inland Sea in dramatic fashion. Once a remote exile destination, today it's easily reached by train from central Kobe. The beach offers stunning sunsets over the water, with the silhouettes of Awaji Island on the horizon. Visit in summer for swimming and festivals, or in autumn for contemplative walks echoing Yukihira's melancholy. Nearby attractions include Suma Rikyu Park with its stunning gardens, and historic Sumadera Temple where exile-era artifacts remain. The area retains surprising tranquility despite its urban accessibility—morning visits reward with fishermen's boats and sea breezes carrying hints of salt. Don't miss the salt-making demonstrations that connect visitors to the ancient moshio (seaweed salt) tradition central to classical poetry.

Understanding the Poem

This poem epitomizes 'aware'—the bittersweet beauty of impermanence and longing. Yukihira writes from exile, imagining that someone in the capital might inquire about him, though such questions are painfully rare ('wakuraba'). The central image of dripping seaweed brine operates on multiple levels: literally describing salt production (burning kelp and collecting its tears of salt), while metaphorically representing his own endless weeping. The verb 'taretsusu' (continuously dripping) emphasizes the unceasing nature of his grief. The instruction to 'answer thus' creates poignant distance—he cannot speak directly to loved ones but must rely on messengers. This indirect communication intensifies the isolation. The poem's genius lies in merging labor (salt-making) with emotion (tears), suggesting that suffering can be both productive and beautiful, a deeply Japanese aesthetic concept that would influence literature for a millennium.