朝霧のおほに相見し人故に
命死ぬべく恋ひわたるかも
命死ぬべく恋ひわたるかも
- Roma-ji
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Asagiri no ō ni aimishi hito yue ni inochi shinubeku koiwataru kamo
- English Translation
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Like the morning mist,
dimly only did we meet,
yet for that one's sake,
fit to die, I go on still
longing, longing without end
- Meaning
- For one I met only dimly, as through morning mist, I go on longing as though it would be the death of me.
- Commentary
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Book Four Love Poems 599
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Twenty-four poems sent by Lady Kasa to Ōtomo no Sukune Yakamochi"
For the sake of one she met only dimly and briefly, she goes on longing fit to die. The gap between so fleeting a meeting and so violent a love is vividly expressed.
The author, Lady Kasa, was a woman poet of the Nara period who sent many love poems to Ōtomo no Yakamochi. Little else is known of her.
First line, "Like the morning mist," is a pillow word for ō ni, "dimly," since morning mist veils things.
Second line, "dimly only did we meet," uses ō ni, "faintly, vaguely": we met only briefly.
Third line, "yet for that one's sake," means because of that person.
Fourth line, "fit to die, I go on still," means so that my life might end.
Fifth line, "longing, longing without end," means I go on longing, the same last line as poem 597 and the next, 600.
- Author
- Lady Kasa
- Source
- Manyoshu
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