伊勢の海のふかきこころをたどらずて
ふりにし跡と波や消つべき
ふりにし跡と波や消つべき
- Roma-ji
-
Ise no umi no fukaki kokoro o tadorazute
furinishi ato to nami ya ketsubeki - English Translation
-
Without tracing out
the deep heart of the sea of
Ise, shall the waves
wipe it away as a trace
grown old and left behind here?
- Meaning
- Without following the deep heart of the sea of Ise, shall the waves wipe it away as an old, outworn trace?
- Commentary
-
Part One: Eawase
Before Fujitsubo an image contest was held, the Umetsubo side against the Kokiden side, judging the merit of tale-paintings. After Taketori was matched against Utsuho, the Tales of Ise were set against Josanmi with no decision. The Josanmi of the right, painted with dash from the court and near-modern life, had the advantage in interest. On the losing left, Hei no Naishi of the Umetsubo side spoke this poem, asking whether Narihira's name should be brought low.
"The sea of Ise" figures the Tales of Ise as a sea, and "deep" and "waves" belong to it. "Deep heart" is deep feeling. "Tadorazute" is without tracing it. "A trace grown old" lays the old tale over footprints in sand the waves erase. "Shall the waves wipe it out?" expects no. The title Ise is turned into a seascape and the poem built from its associated words, with the wit the contest calls for.
- Author
- Murasaki Shikibu
- Source
- Genji Monogatari
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