君が代にあへるばかりの道はあれど
身をば頼まず行く末の空
身をば頼まず行く末の空
- Roma-ji
-
Kimi ga yo ni aeru bakari no michi wa aredo mi o ba tanomazu yukusue no sora
- English Translation
-
In my lord's reign
I have met the way, and that alone,
though such a way there is,
I place no trust in this self—
the sky of the days to come.
- Meaning
- There is the path of having met my lord's reign, and that alone; but I place no trust in myself, and the sky of my future is uncertain.
- Commentary
-
Book Eighteen Miscellaneous Poems III 1763
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On the feeling of personal grievance, at the Poetry Office."
This is the seventh of the sequence composed at the Poetry Office on personal grievance. There is the path of having met his lord's reign, but he cannot rely on himself, and his future is as uncertain as the sky. It sets side by side the joy of meeting his lord's reign and anxiety about his own future.
The author, "Masatsune Ason," is Fujiwara no Masatsune. A son of Fujiwara no Yoritsune, he was one of the compilers of the Shin Kokinshū. He also excelled at kemari football and founded the Asukai house.
The first line, "kimi ga yo ni," is the same as the first line of Teika's poem 1759 in this book, referring to the reign of Retired Emperor Go-Toba.
The second line, "aeru bakari no," means "only that I have met it." Where Teika supposed "had I not met it," this poem says "I have met it."
The third line, "michi wa aredo," means "though there is that path." "Michi" also overlaps with the way of poetry.
The fourth line, "mi o ba tanomazu," means "I do not rely on myself." "O ba" singles out the self strongly.
The last line, "yukusue no sora," likens the uncertainty of the future to the sky. Ending on a noun, it leaves an afterimage of unease at what cannot be foreseen.
- Author
- Fujiwara no Masatsune
- Source
- Shin Kokin Wakashu
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Sono yama to chigiranu tsuki mo akikaze mo susumuru sode ni tsuyu koboretsutsu
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Oshimu tomo namida ni tsuki mo kokoro kara narenuru sode ni aki o uramite