あはれとて人の心の情けあれな
数ならぬにはよらぬ嘆きを
数ならぬにはよらぬ嘆きを
- Roma-ji
-
Aware tote hito no kokoro no nasake are na kazu naranu ni wa yoranu nageki o
- English Translation
-
Out of pity, let
there be some kindness within
the heart of my love,
for this grief of mine does not
come from my lowly station
- Meaning
- Out of pity, let there be kindness in my beloved's heart—for this grief of mine does not come from my being of no account.
- Commentary
-
Book Thirteen Love Poems III 1230
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Topic unknown."
This is the eleventh poem of the sequence on resenting a cold-hearted lover and enduring the pain. Since this grief does not come from his being of no account, let there be kindness in the beloved's heart out of pity. The headnote continues "Topic unknown" from the preceding poem, and the circumstances of composition are not recorded.
The author, "Saigyō Hōshi," was named Satō Norikiyo in lay life and served as a guard of the North Quarter under Retired Emperor Toba, but took holy orders in his youth and became a poet-monk. He traveled through many provinces and left a great number of poems.
The first line, "aware tote," means "out of pity."
The second line, "hito no kokoro no," means "of my beloved's heart."
The third line, "nasake are na," means "let there be kindness," with a pause after the third line. "Na" is a final particle expressing a wish.
The fourth line, "kazu naranu ni wa," means "to being of no account," referring to low station.
The last line, "yoranu nageki o," means "this grief that does not come from that." Presenting the reasoning that love's grief has nothing to do with high or low station, he seeks the beloved's kindness. The upper and lower verses are inverted, and together with "mi o shireba" of the next poem, the two poems are set side by side, singing of the relation between one's station and love's grief.
- Author
- Saigyō
- Source
- Shin Kokin Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Koishinan inochi wa nao mo oshiki kana onaji yo ni aru kai wa nakeredo
- Next Poem
-
Mi o shireba hito no toga to wa omowanu ni uramigao ni mo nururu sode kana