Haruka naru iwa no hazama ni hitori ite hitome omowade mono omowaba ya - Shin Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

はるかなる岩のはざまにひとりゐて
人目思はで物思はばや

Roma-ji: Haruka naru iwa no hazama ni hitori ite hitome omowade mono omowaba ya
English Translation: Far away from all,
in a cleft between the rocks
I would dwell alone,
and, heedless of others' eyes,
lose myself in thoughts of love.
Meaning: I wish I could stay alone in some cleft between the rocks far away from everyone, and give myself wholly to longing, without a thought for the eyes of others.
Commentary: Book Twelve Love Poems II 1099

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Topic unknown."
This is the third poem of the sequence on hidden love that can no longer be held back. The speaker wishes to be alone in a far-off cleft between rocks, free to brood on love without a thought for others' eyes. The headnote continues from the preceding poem and gives no topic; the circumstances of composition are not recorded.
The author is Saigyō; "Hōshi" in the original name means a monk. His lay name was Satō Norikiyo; he served Retired Emperor Toba as a guard of the north quarters but took vows at twenty-three and traveled the provinces composing poems.

The first line, "haruka naru," means "far away," a place remote from human dwellings.
The second line, "iwa no hazama ni," means "in a cleft between the rocks." It takes up "iwagakure" from the preceding poem and continues the shadow of the rocks; where there the water flowing in that shadow was hidden tears, here the cleft is sought as a refuge from others' eyes.
The third line, "hitori ite," means "being alone," wishing for a life beyond others' gaze.
The fourth line, "hitome omowade," means "without minding others' eyes," with "de" a negative conjunctive particle. In contrast to "hitome tsutsumu omoi" in poem 1090 of this book, a place where one need not mind others' eyes is longed for.
The last line, "mono omowaba ya," means "I wish to brood," with "baya" expressing the speaker's own wish. Repeating "omou" in "omowade" of the fourth line and "omowaba ya" of the last, the poem voices a wish to think of love alone and not of others' eyes.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Shin Kokin Wakashu
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