飽かずして別るる涙滝にそふ
水まさるとや下は見るらむ
水まさるとや下は見るらむ
- Roma-ji
-
Akazu shite wakaruru namida taki ni sou mizu masaru to ya shimo wa miru ramu
- English Translation
-
The tears I shed
parting still unsatisfied
pour into the falls;
do those downstream now see
the waters rising high?
- Meaning
- The tears I shed as we part, still longing for more of your company, pour into the waterfall. Do the people downstream see the water rising and wonder why?
- Commentary
-
Book Eight Parting Poems 396
Headnote: "Composed when the Ninna Emperor, while still a prince, had gone to view the Furu Waterfall and was returning"
This poem was composed when Emperor Kōkō, while still a prince, was returning from viewing the Furu Waterfall. The tears of reluctant parting flow into the falls, so that people downstream will think the water has risen; by exaggerating the flood of tears, the poet expresses his sorrow at the parting.
The author, "Priest Kengei," was a monk whose life is not well known.
The first line, "parting still unsatisfied," means with one's fill not yet had, still reluctant. Poem 400 in this book shares the same first line, and both sing of the tears of parting in the form "parting still unsatisfied."
The second line, "the tears I shed," are tears of parting, depicted as flowing into the waterfall in the third line.
The third line, "pour into the falls," uses sou, "to be added," an exaggeration in which the tears join the waterfall's flow.
The fourth line, "the waters rising," uses the particle ya for a question, completing a binding with ramu in the last line.
The last line, "do those downstream see?" uses shimo for the lower stream or the people there, and the present conjectural ramu to wonder whether they are now seeing the water rise.
- Author
- Priest Kengei
- Source
- Kokin Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Koto naraba kimi tomaru beku niowanamu kaesu wa hana no uki ni ya wa aranu
- Next Poem
-
Akihagi no hana o ba ame ni nurasedomo kimi o ba mashite oshi to koso omoe