君が代にあふさか山の岩清水
木隠れたりと思ひけるかな
木隠れたりと思ひけるかな
- Roma-ji
-
Kimi ga yo ni ōsaka yama no iwashimizu kogakuretari to omoikeru kana
- English Translation
-
In your reign I met,
like the spring of Ōsaka
welling from the rocks,
I had thought that I lay hid
in the shadow of the trees
- Meaning
- Like the rock-spring of Mount Ōsaka, I who have lived to meet your reign had thought myself hidden away in the shade of the trees, unknown to the world.
- Commentary
-
Book Nineteen Miscellaneous Forms 1004
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "A long poem presented in addition to the old poems"
The preceding poem, 1003, is a long poem by Mibu no Tadamine presented together with old poems, and this poem is its envoy. The long poem laments his low rank and old age while rejoicing at being called upon for his poems. The envoy gathers that feeling into a single tanka, likening himself to a spring welling up in the shade of trees, and expresses his emotion at being discovered in his lord's reign after lying hidden from the world.
The author is Mibu no Tadamine. He was one of the compilers of the Kokinshū and the father of Mibu no Tadami. Of low rank, he served as an officer of the Right Gate Guards, among other posts. He is one of the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.
First line, "Kimi ga yo ni" (in your reign), refers to the reign of Emperor Daigo. The particle "ni" leads to "meet" in the second line.
Second line, "ōsaka yama no," is a pivot word joining "au" (to meet) your reign and the place name Mount Ōsaka.
Third line, "iwashimizu," is a spring welling from between rocks, standing for the poet himself. Mount Ōsaka was famous for its springs.
Fourth line, "kogakuretari to," means hidden in the shade of trees, unnoticed, a metaphor for a life buried in obscurity. It takes up the sense of neglect expressed in the preceding long poem.
Fifth line, "omoikeru kana," uses "keru" for a realization only now arrived at and "kana" for exclamation. He had thought so, and now he has been summoned after all.
- Author
- Mibu no Tadamine
- Source
- Kokin Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Yamakawa no oto ni nomi kiku momoshiki o mi o haya nagara miru yoshi mogana
- Next Poem
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Ume no hana mi ni koso kitsure uguisu no hitoku hitoku to itoishi mo oru