思へども人目つつみの高ければ
川と見ながらえこそ渡らね
川と見ながらえこそ渡らね
- Roma-ji
-
Omoedomo hitome tsutsumi no takakereba kawa to minagara e koso watarane
- English Translation
-
Though I long for you,
the embankment of others’ eyes
rises so high
that though I see the river there
I cannot bring myself to cross
- Meaning
- Though I long for you, my fear of others' eyes rises as high as an embankment, so that though the river lies before me, I cannot cross it.
- Commentary
-
Book Thirteen Love Poems III 659
Headnote: "Topic unknown."
Though the poet longs for the beloved, wariness of others' eyes stands like a high embankment, so he cannot go to meet her, just as one cannot cross the river before one's eyes. With tsutsumi punning on "embankment" and "restraint," crossing the river stands for love fulfilled.
The author is recorded as anonymous, and the name has not come down to us.
The next poem also uses the phrase "the embankment of others' eyes," treating the same conceit through the figure of rapids, and the two form a pair.
The first line, "omoedomo," means "though I long," continuing adversatively.
The second line, "hitome tsutsumi no," uses tsutsumi as a pivot word for "embankment" and "restraint," overlaying wariness of others' eyes with a riverbank. It is the same phrase as the fourth line of the next poem.
The third line, "takakereba," means "since it is high," giving the reason.
The fourth line, "kawa to minagara," means "though I see it is a river I could cross." "Embankment," "river," and "cross" are associated words.
The final line, "e koso watarane," means "I cannot cross," the adverb e answering the negative, and koso resolved by ne, the realis of the negative zu.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Kokin Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Yumeji ni wa ashi mo yasumezu kayoedomo utsutsu ni hitome mishi koto wa arazu
- Next Poem
-
Tagitsu se no hayaki kokoro o nani shi ka mo hitome tsutsumi no seki todomuramu