Reproach me not
That I seem like an old man.
In my hunting robe,
Only for this day, they say—
Even the cranes cry so.
- Meaning
-
Do not reproach me for seeming like an old man. Even the cranes cry as if to say that wearing my hunting robe and serving in attendance will be only for this day.
- Commentary
-
114. Seeming an Old Man
Emperor Kōkō went out for a falcon hunt. The man was already old and thought it unfitting for him to accompany the party, but because he had once served as a falconer, the emperor had him attend.
The poem was written by the man on the sleeve of his patterned hunting robe, moved with emotion at being allowed to accompany the hunt.
When Emperor Kōkō saw it, however, he became displeased. The man had written about his own age in the poem, but the emperor, who was no longer young himself, thought that the words were directed at him.
The old man had intended the poem as a declaration that he would serve bravely in the vigorous falcon hunt as though it were his final service, but to the aging emperor it gave offense.
- Source
-
Ise Monogatari
- Other
-