In close affection
you know it not—like white waves
at Mizugaki's shore;
since ages long ago
I began to offer praise.
- Meaning
-
You may not know that I hold a feeling of closeness toward you, yet from long ages ago—like the white waves along this shore and the sacred fence around the shrine—I had already begun to celebrate and bless the reign of the emperor.
- Commentary
-
117 The Princess Pines of the Shore
This poem was composed by the deity of Sumiyoshi, who appeared and responded to the emperor’s poem: “Though I see them, it has been long—the princess pines on the shore of Sumiyoshi; how many ages have they endured?”
Because the emperor praised the pines of Sumiyoshi in his poem, the god of Sumiyoshi appeared in form and answered with this verse. It carries a quality reminiscent of an ancient folk tale.
"White waves" (shiranami) also functions as a pivot word meaning "not knowing."
Mizugaki is an honorific term for the fence that surrounds a Shinto shrine. It serves as a pillow word for "long," and "wave" and "mizu (water)" form associated imagery.
- Source
-
Ise Monogatari
- Other
-