朝なけに見べき君とし頼まねば
思ひ立ちぬる草枕なり
思ひ立ちぬる草枕なり
- Roma-ji
-
Asanake ni mibeki kimi to shi tanomaneba omoi tachinuru kusamakura nari
- English Translation
-
Since I cannot trust
that you are one I'll see
morning and day,
I have resolved to go—
a journey pillowed on grass.
- Meaning
- Since I cannot rely on you as someone I will see morning and evening, I have made up my mind to set out on this journey, with only grass for a pillow.
- Commentary
-
Book Eight Parting Poems 376
Headnote: "Composed and sent to Fujiwara no Kimitoshi when leaving for Hitachi"
This poem was sent to Fujiwara no Kimitoshi on the occasion of going down to Hitachi. The poet finds the reason for the journey in being unable to rely on the other as someone who can always be seen, and so resolves to set out. Within the sorrow of parting, a faint reproach toward the other seeps through.
The author, "Utsuku," whose name is read this way, is a figure whose life is not well known.
The first line, "morning and day," means always, evoking unchanging daily meetings.
The second line, "one I'll see," adds the auxiliary of expectation beshi to miru, meaning a person one ought to meet. The emphatic shi stresses "you."
The third line, "since I cannot trust," uses the negative ne with ba to give the reason: because I cannot rely on you.
The fourth line, "I have resolved to go," uses the perfective nuru to say that the decision to depart has been made.
The last line, "a journey pillowed on grass," uses kusamakura for a journey and ends firmly with the copula nari.
- Author
- Utsuku
- Source
- Kokin Wakashu
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