More than Hikoboshi
My longing for you exceeds—
Like the Heavenly
River’s barrier between,
Let that barrier now cease.
- Meaning
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My longing for you is greater than that of Hikoboshi, who meets Orihime only once a year. Please remove now the barrier that stands between us like the Heavenly River.
- Commentary
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95. To Hikoboshi
There was a man who served Fujiwara no Takako, the Nijō Consort of Emperor Seiwa. He came to know a woman who also served that consort, and he continued to court her. The man said that even if they must meet with a bamboo blind or a standing screen placed between them, he wished at least to ease the depth of his longing. Thus the two met quietly with an object set between them.
The poem was composed by the man while the two were speaking together.
Although they served in the same palace and often saw each other’s faces, they lacked the opportunity to meet freely. This situation is compared to Orihime and Hikoboshi of the Tanabata legend, who are separated by the Heavenly River and can meet only once a year. The man had first said that he would be content even to meet with something placed between them, yet as they spoke together his longing only deepened, and he pleaded that the barrier be removed so that they might meet directly. The poem reveals the man’s sincerity and earnest character.
- Source
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Ise Monogatari
- Other
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