惜しむらむ人の心を知らぬ間に
秋の時雨と身ぞふりにける
秋の時雨と身ぞふりにける
- Roma-ji
-
Oshimu ramu hito no kokoro o shiranu ma ni aki no shigure to mi zo furinikeru
- English Translation
-
While I did not know
the heart of one who, it seems,
grieves to see me go,
like the autumn showers
I have fallen into age.
- Meaning
- All the while I did not know that you grieved to see me go, I have grown old, like the autumn showers that keep on falling.
- Commentary
-
Book Eight Parting Poems 398
Headnote: "A reply to the poem composed as above"
This is Prince Kanemi's reply to the farewell poem by Ki no Tsurayuki in the preceding poem. Saying that while he did not know the heart that grieved for him, he has grown old as the autumn showers fall, the prince thanks the other for his kindness while humbly speaking of his own aging.
The author, "Prince Kanemi," was a son of Prince Koretaka, himself a son of Emperor Montoku, and rose to the post of Minister of the Imperial Household.
The first line, "one who, it seems, grieves," uses the present conjectural ramu, answering the last line of the preceding poem, "I grieve to see depart," with "you seem to regret my going."
The second line, "the heart of one," uses hito for the other person, Tsurayuki.
The third line, "while I did not know," uses the negative nu: while I remained unaware of that heart.
The fourth line, "like the autumn showers," takes up "rain" from the preceding poem as shigure, leading by comparison to the last line.
The last line, "I have fallen into age," is a pivot word in which furi joins the falling of showers with growing old. The binding of zo with the attributive keru laments having grown old.
- Author
- Kanramu Ou
- Source
- Kokin Wakashu
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