Sonnet to Japanese Spring

Spring has come to old Nippon! 
Standing on a hill I see 
Verdant valleys neatly sown, 
Stepped and terraced, and a bee 
Buzzing busily drops down 
To gather nectar from the sea 
Of blossoms on yon cherry tree. 

Fuji-san has lost its gown, 
Frosty white through winter’s night; 
Yet a glist’ning snowy crown 
Rests atop its purple height. 
Brooks flow bubbling, gurgling down 
To meet the river, silv’ry bright 
In Rising Sun’s first rays of light. 

There’s nothing which will more display 
The proof of God’s omnipotence 
Than gazing on this vast display 
Of Nippon spring’s magnificence! 

Note: I wrote this poem while living in Japan fifty-six years ago. “Nippon” (Nip-POHN) is the Japanese name for Japan. “Fuji-san” is an alternate (and more poetic) synonym for “Fujiyama,” which means “Mount Fuji.” I have capitalized initial letters in “Rising Sun,” a translation of “Asahi,” which evokes an ancient, honored symbol in Japan.