向つ峰に立てる桃の木ならむやと
人ぞささやく汝が心ゆめ
人ぞささやく汝が心ゆめ
- Roma-ji
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Mukatsuo ni tateru momo no ki naramu ya to hito zo sasayaku na ga kokoro yume
- English Translation
-
On the facing peak
stands a peach tree: "Will it bear
its fruit, I wonder?"
so the people softly whisper;
guard your heart, and never waver
- Meaning
- "Will the peach tree standing on the facing peak bear fruit?" people are whispering. Guard your heart, and never let it waver.
- Commentary
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Book Seven Allegorical Poems 1356
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Trees"
The poet tells how people whisper about whether the peach tree on the facing peak will bear fruit, and warns the beloved not to let her heart slacken. The peach tree bearing fruit stands for the fulfillment of their love, and in the face of gossip the poet urges that her heart must not waver.
It is one of the poems under the heading "On Trees." The first line, "On the facing peak," corresponds to the first line of poem 1359 in this book, and the peach tree also echoes the "down-peach" of poem 1358 in this book. The poet is unknown.
The first line, "On the facing peak," corresponds to the first line of poem 1359 in this book.
The second line, "stands a peach tree," introduces the tree that stands for love.
The third line, "Will it bear its fruit," uses "naru," to bear fruit, as a figure for love fulfilled.
In the fourth line, "so the people softly whisper," the particle "zo" is answered by the attributive "sasayaku," and the poem pauses here.
The final line, "guard your heart, and never waver," uses "yume," "by no means," implying a prohibition: do not let your heart slacken.
- Source
- Manyoshu
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