Wasurete mo hito ni kataru na utatane no yume mite nochi mo nagakaraji yo o - Shin Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

忘れても人に語るなうたた寝の
夢見て後も長からじ世を

Roma-ji: Wasurete mo hito ni kataru na utatane no yume mite nochi mo nagakaraji yo o
English Translation: Even if you forget,
do not tell it to anyone;
after the dream seen
in a brief and fitful doze
our bond will not last for long
Meaning: Even if you should forget me, never tell anyone of us; for even after this meeting, brief as a dream in a fitful doze, our bond will not last long.
Commentary: Book Thirteen Love Poems III 1161

Headnote: "When she had begun exchanging words with someone."
This is the third poem of the sequence likening lovers' meetings to dreams. Even if he forgets her, he must not tell anyone, for even after a meeting like a dream in a fitful doze, their bond will not last long. According to the headnote, it was composed when she had begun exchanging words with someone.
The author, "Uma no Naishi," was a lady-in-waiting of the mid-Heian period. She is counted among the Later Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals.

The first line, "wasurete mo," means "even if you forget." It is a preface meaning "even if you should forget me," anticipating the lover's change of heart.
The second line, "hito ni kataru na," is the same line as in 1159 of this book and also echoes "kimi kataru na yo" in the preceding poem. The final particle "na" expresses prohibition, with a pause after the second line.
The third line, "utatane no," means "of a fitful doze," modifying the "dream" that follows.
The fourth line, "yume mite nochi mo," means "even after seeing the dream." It likens the meeting to a short dream in a doze, and like "the dream of a spring night" in the preceding poem, it shows how fleeting it is.
The last line, "nagakaraji yo o," means "our bond, which will not last long." The auxiliary "ji" expresses negative conjecture, and "yo" refers to the bond between man and woman. The poem closes with the plea that, precisely because their bond is fleeting, he should at least keep it to himself.
Author: Uma no Naishi
Source: Shin Kokin Wakashu
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