あふなあふな思ひはすべしなぞへなく
高き卑しき苦しかりけり
高き卑しき苦しかりけり
- Roma-ji
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Ōna ōna omoi wa subeshi nazoe naku
takaki iyashiki kurushikarikeri - English Translation
-
Love, love if you must—
Yet why should such longing be
Without any match?
Between the high and the low
How bitter the pain must be.
- Meaning
- You may fall in love if you must, yet why should it be with no equality between you? Love between one of high rank and one of low rank is a painful thing indeed.
- Commentary
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93. Love, Love
There was a man of very low rank who fell in love with a woman of incomparably high rank. It was not that she rejected him completely; perhaps there seemed to be a slight hope. The man lay down thinking of her, rose again thinking of her, repeating his thoughts without rest.
The poem was composed as he suffered in his longing.
Love between people of different ranks rarely comes to fulfillment. Yet sometimes, by chance, one may be noticed and chosen, and when there seems to be some hope, a man cannot easily give up. Thus his sorrow only deepens. The poem expresses the lament of such a man.
Since ancient times, love between the high and the low may have been thought unlikely to succeed. Many tales seem to end with such love remaining tragic.
- Source
- Ise Monogatari
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