いにしへのやまゐの衣なかりせば
忘らるる身となりやしなまし
忘らるる身となりやしなまし
- Roma-ji
-
Inishie no yamai no koromo nakariseba wasuraruru mi to nari ya shinamashi
- English Translation
-
Had there not been
the robes of mountain indigo
that we wore of old,
would I have come to be
one you had forgotten?
- Meaning
- Had there not been the robes of mountain indigo we wore long ago, would I have become one you had forgotten?
- Commentary
-
Book Eighteen Miscellaneous Poems III 1798
Headnote: "Topic unknown."
This poem stands as the second of the exchange longing for festivals of the past. Had there not been the robes of mountain indigo they once wore together, would he have become one forgotten? The headnote says the topic is unknown, but taking up "yamai" of the preceding poem, it answers that he is remembered because of the bond of having served as dancers together.
The author, "Michinobu Ason," is Fujiwara no Michinobu. A son of Fujiwara no Tamemitsu, he became Middle Captain of the Left but died young.
The first line, "inishie no," means "of long ago," taking up "sono kami" of the preceding poem.
The second line, "yamai no koromo," is a robe printed with mountain indigo, the dancers' robe, taking up "yamai" of the preceding poem.
The third line, "nakariseba," means "had there not been." "Seba" answers "mashi" in the last line to form a counterfactual.
The fourth line, "wasuraruru mi to," means "one who is forgotten." "Ruru" is the attributive of the passive "ru."
In the last line, "nari ya shinamashi," "ya" is a particle of question and "mashi" counterfactual. It expresses gratitude to the one who remembered him, saying it was the bond of the robes they danced in that kept him from being forgotten.
- Author
- Fujiwara no Michinobu
- Source
- Shin Kokin Wakashu
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Koromode no yamai no mizu ni kage mieshi nao sono kami no haru zo koishiki
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Tachinagara kite dani miseyo omigoromo akanu mukashi no wasuregatami ni