Tamazusa no kayou bakari ni nagusamete nochi no yo made no urami nokosu na - Shin Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

玉梓の通ふばかりに慰めて
後の世までの恨み残すな

Roma-ji: Tamazusa no kayou bakari ni nagusamete nochi no yo made no urami nokosu na
English Translation: With letters alone
passing back and forth, be soothed,
and do not leave
a grudge that lingers on
into the world to come.
Meaning: Let the letters passing between us be your comfort, and do not leave behind a grudge that lasts into the world to come.
Commentary: Book Twelve Love Poems II 1103

Headnote: "When Major Counselor Narimichi sent letters to a woman who remained cold, and told her his resentment would last into the next world."
This is the second of two poems on "the next world." The speaker asks him to take comfort in the letters passing between them and not to leave a grudge that lasts into the world to come. According to the headnote, it is the woman's reply after Major Counselor Narimichi, whose letters she had coldly ignored, told her his resentment would outlive this life.
The author, "Anonymous," indicates that the author's name has not come down. According to the headnote, she is the woman who was cold to Narimichi's letters.
"Major Counselor Narimichi" in the headnote is Fujiwara no Narimichi, famed as a master of kemari.

The first line, "tamazusa no," means "of letters," "tamazusa" being a word for a messenger or a letter.
The second line, "kayou bakari ni," means "merely passing back and forth," keeping the affair to an exchange of letters.
The third line, "nagusamete," means "be consoled," asking him to be content with letters even if they never meet.
The fourth line, "nochi no yo made no," means "lasting into the next world," taking up Narimichi's words in the headnote, "his resentment would last into the next world." It is set beside the preceding poem by the same words "nochi no yo"; where that poem disguised tears of love as grief for the next world, this one turns away a resentment reaching into the next world.
The last line, "urami nokosu na," means "do not leave a grudge," closing with the prohibitive "na." Taking the other's words as they are and striking them back is the manner of a true reply poem.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Shin Kokin Wakashu
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