ちはやぶる神の斎垣も超えぬべし
大宮人の見まくほしさに
大宮人の見まくほしさに
- Roma-ji
-
Chihayaburu kami no igaki mo koenubeshi
ōmiyabito no mimaku hoshisa ni - English Translation
-
Though fiercely guarded,
Even the sacred hedge
Of the gods I’d cross—
Such is my longing to see
One who comes from the court.
- Meaning
- I would even cross the sacred hedge that surrounds the gods, so strong is my longing to see the one who has come from the imperial court.
- Commentary
-
71. Though Fiercely Guarded
A certain man came to the residence of the Saigū at Ise as an imperial envoy. At the residence he spoke with a lady-in-waiting about matters of love.
The poem was composed by the lady, expressing her personal feelings.
A lady-in-waiting served people of high rank such as members of the imperial family. She did not perform tasks such as cooking or washing, but instead worked in roles similar to a nurse, tutor, or secretary, and she was given her own room. It was also usual that such women themselves belonged to the aristocracy.
Although she served as a lady-in-waiting to the Saigū, the poem expresses her impulsive feeling that she would even break the prohibitions in order to meet the man.
"Ōmiyabito" refers to a person who serves at the imperial court.
- Source
- Ise Monogatari
- Prev Poem
-
Mirume karu kata ya izuko zo sao sasete
ware ni oshie yo ama no tsuribune - Next Poem
-
Koishiku wa kite mo mi yo kashi chihayaburu
kami no isamuru michi naranaku ni