榊葉にその言ふかひはなけれども
神に心をかけぬ間ぞなき
神に心をかけぬ間ぞなき
- Roma-ji
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Sakakiba ni sono iukai wa nakeredomo kami ni kokoro o kakenu ma zo naki
- English Translation
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On sakaki leaves
though there is no use at all
in voicing my plea,
to the god I give my heart—
there is no moment I don't.
- Meaning
- Though it is of no use to voice my plea on these sakaki leaves, there is not a moment when my heart is not set upon the god.
- Commentary
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Book Nineteen Poems on the Gods 1887
Headnote: "Tied to a sakaki branch when, resenting that he had long remained a supernumerary official of the Hachiman Shrine, he went there on the night of the sacred kagura."
This is the second of the poems on shrines of the various provinces. Though there is no use in voicing his plea on the sakaki leaves, the poet says, there is no moment when his heart is not set upon the god. According to the headnote, resenting that he had spent long years as a supernumerary official of the Hachiman Shrine, he went there on the night of the sacred kagura and tied this poem to a sakaki branch. Voicing his grief at being denied promotion, he still shows unchanging faith in the god.
The author, "Hōin Jōsei," was a monk who served at Iwashimizu Hachimangū. Hōin, "Dharma Seal," was the highest rank for monks.
A supernumerary official held a provisional post created beyond the fixed number of offices.
The second line in the main text reads "sono iukai wa," which does not match "sono yūkai wa" in the reading line. The main text is followed here.
The first line, "sakakiba ni," means "on the sakaki leaves," answering the act, told in the headnote, of tying the poem to a sakaki branch.
The second line, "sono iukai wa," means "the use of voicing it." Even if he voices his grief at remaining a supernumerary official for years, it will have no effect.
The third line, "nakeredomo," means "though there is none."
The fourth line, "kami ni kokoro o," means "my heart upon the god."
The last line, "kakenu ma zo naki," means "there is no moment I do not set it," closing the particle "zo" with the attributive adjective "naki" in kakari-musubi. "Kake," "to hang," also echoes the act of tying the poem to the sakaki. It expresses in the same form as "kakenu hi zo naki" in poem 1884 of this book the setting of one's heart on the god.
- Author
- Jōsei
- Source
- Shin Kokin Wakashu
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