Omou chō hito no kokoro no kuma goto ni tachikakuretsutsu miru yoshi mogana - Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

思ふてふ人の心の隈ごとに
立ち隠れつつ見るよしもがな

Roma-ji: Omou chō hito no kokoro no kuma goto ni tachikakuretsutsu miru yoshi mogana
English Translation: The one who says
"I love you"—in every nook
of that person's heart,
if only I could hide myself
and see what's truly there
Meaning: If only I had a way to hide in every corner of the heart of the one who says they love me, and see for myself what is really there.
Commentary: Book Nineteen Miscellaneous Forms 1038

Headnote: "Topic unknown"
Wanting to confirm the true feelings of one who professes love, the poet voices the whimsical wish to hide in every corner of that heart and peek. Imagining the heart as a place full of shadowy nooks gives the poem its haikai quality.
The author is unknown and is recorded as "Anonymous."

First line, "Omou chō," uses "chō," a contraction of "to iu": who says they love me.
Second line, "hito no kokoro no," refers to the beloved's heart.
Third line, "kuma goto ni," uses "kuma," a recess or shadowed corner, likening the heart to a place of hidden nooks.
Fourth line, "tachikakuretsutsu," means while hiding myself.
Fifth line, "miru yoshi mogana," combines "yoshi," a means, with the wishful "mogana."
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Kokin Wakashu
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