かえるさの行幸物憂く思ほえて
背きてとまるかくや姫ゆゑ
背きてとまるかくや姫ゆゑ
- Roma-ji
-
Kaerusa no miyuki monouku omooete
somukite tomaru Kakuyahime yue - English Translation
-
The homeward royal return
weighs heavy on my heart,
for she turns away
and stays behind—
Kaguya-hime.
- Meaning
- Because Kaguya-hime turns away from my wish and remains at the bamboo cutter’s house, the imperial return home weighs heavily on my heart.
- Commentary
-
This is a poem composed by the Emperor after he visited the bamboo cutter’s dwelling and met Princess Kaguya.
He asked the bamboo cutter to have the beautiful Kaguya-hime, who had rejected all five suitors, enter service at court. However, Kaguya-hime steadfastly refused, saying that she would rather die than go to court service. Using a hunt as a pretext, the Emperor entered the bamboo cutter’s dwelling and met Kaguya-hime.
The Emperor is captivated by Kaguya-hime’s beauty, and his feelings deepen.
- Source
- Taketori Monogatari
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