浮雲に隠れてとこそ思ひしか
ねたくも月の隙漏りにける
ねたくも月の隙漏りにける
- Roma-ji
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Ukigumo ni kakurete to koso omoishika netaku mo tsuki no hima morinikeru
- English Translation
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Behind drifting clouds
I thought to hide myself away,
and yet, how galling!—
through a gap the moon has shone
and let its light seep out.
- Meaning
- I thought I would hide behind the drifting clouds—how galling that the moon's light slipped out through a gap after all.
- Commentary
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Book Sixteen Miscellaneous Poems I 1503
Headnote: "Reply."
This is the fifth poem of the sequence on the moon, Fujiwara no Masamitsu's reply to Ise no Taifu's poem in the preceding poem. He had meant to go hidden by the drifting clouds, he says, but galling as it is, the moon leaked through a gap, admitting he was found out.
The author, "Consultant Masamitsu," was the son of Regent Fujiwara no Kanemichi. He rose to Consultant.
The first line, "ukigumo ni," takes up "ukigumo wa," the first line of the preceding poem.
In the second line, "kakurete to koso," "koso" is a binding particle, closed by "shika" in the third line. Taking up "tachikakusedomo" of the preceding poem, he answers that he had meant to go in hiding.
The third line, "omoishika," closes the kakari-musubi of the particle "koso" with "shika," the perfective form of the past "ki." It carries the concessive sense "so I thought, and yet," and the poem breaks after the third line.
In the fourth line, "netaku mo tsuki no," "netashi" means "galling" or "vexing." It expresses chagrin at having his secret visit discovered.
The last line, "hima morinikeru," takes up "hima morite," the third line of the preceding poem. Accepting her words as they are, he playfully pretends to be vexed at being found out.
- Author
- Fujiwara no Masamitsu
- Source
- Shin Kokin Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Ukigumo wa tachikakusedomo hima morite sora yuku tsuki no mie mo suru kana
- Next Poem
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Tsuki o nado matare nomi su to omoiken geni yama no ha wa ideukarikeri