唐衣ひも夕暮れになる時は
返す返すぞ人は恋しき
返す返すぞ人は恋しき
- Roma-ji
-
Karakoromo himo yūgure ni naru toki wa kaesugaesu zo hito wa koishiki
- English Translation
-
The Chinese robe's cord
is tied at the close of day
when evening falls
over and over again
how I long for you
- Meaning
- When the day draws toward evening, as one ties the cord of a Chinese robe, again and again, as one turns a robe inside out, I long for you.
- Commentary
-
Book Eleven Love Poems I 515
Headnote: "Topic unknown"
The poem sings that at dusk, like a robe turned over and over, the poet longs for the beloved again and again. From "Chinese robe" it strings together words associated with clothing, such as cord, tie, and turn, expressing with craft the longing that deepens at dusk. The folk belief that sleeping with one's robe turned inside out would bring the beloved into one's dreams is also said to echo in the words "over and over."
First line, "The Chinese robe's cord": karakoromo, a fine robe in the Chinese style, works as a pillow word leading to words related to clothing such as cord and turn.
Second line, "is tied at the close of day": himo is a pivot word meaning both the robe's "cord" and "the day too." Yu also echoes yuu, to tie a cord, overlapping with yugure, dusk. Like "At the fall of dusk" in poem 484 of this book, it sings of longing that grows at evening.
Third line, "when evening falls": naru toki wa means "when it becomes."
Fourth line, "over and over again": kaesugaesu means repeatedly, echoing the turning of a robe. Zo forms a kakari-musubi with the attributive koishiki at the end. Robe, cord, tie, and turn are all words associated with clothing.
Fifth line, "how I long for you": hito wa koishiki means "that person is dear to me," ending in the attributive form to leave a lingering feeling.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Kokin Wakashu
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