What I have in mind
I will not speak, but let it
come to an end thus—
for there is no other one
whose heart is the same as mine.
- Meaning
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What I hold in my heart, I will not speak of it, but let it come to an end as it is; for there is no one whose feelings are the same as mine.
- Commentary
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124 What I Have in Mind
This poem expresses what a certain man held in his thoughts.
Placed just before the final section of the Tales of Ise, this poem carries many reflections.
The man has passed through years of life—encountering women of high and low rank, young and old, refined and rustic, gifted in many ways—pursuing them, parting from them, sharing feelings, meeting and separating again and again. Along the way, he formed deep friendships, relied upon the bond between parent and child, and suffered misfortune in struggles for power.
Having reached an age where he looks back upon such a past, he realizes that the feelings gained through his own experience cannot be fully shared or understood by others, and thus he expresses a sense of resignation.
There may also be a reflection of the author’s own sentiment as the Tales of Ise approaches its end. It is a poem well suited as a closing recollection.
- Source
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Ise Monogatari
- Other
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