我が宿の毛桃の下に月夜さし
下心よしうたてこのころ
下心よしうたてこのころ
- Roma-ji
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Waga yado no kemomo no shita ni tsukuyo sashi shitagokoro yoshi utate kono koro
- English Translation
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At my own dwelling
beneath the downy peach tree
the moonlight shines in;
in my heart below, all's well,
more and more, these days of late.
- Meaning
- Beneath the downy peach tree at my home the moonlight shines in, and in my heart of hearts I am glad—more and more so these days.
- Commentary
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Book Ten Spring Miscellaneous Poems 1889
Headnote: "Allegorical Poems"
This poem borrows the scene of moonlight shining beneath the downy peach tree at home to express an inner happiness, and its headnote is "Allegorical Poems." It is thought to liken the ripening of the peach to a presentiment of love's fruition, and the brightness of the moonlight to a heart made clear. By overlaying "shita," beneath, in the scene's "under the peach" with the heart's "shitagokoro," it deftly joins scene and feeling. It closes the spring miscellaneous poems.
The first line, "of my dwelling," refers to the poet's home.
In the second line, "kemomo no shita ni," "kemomo" is a peach with downy fruit, understood as an allegory for love's fruition.
The third line, "the moonlight shines in," the bright moonlight hinting at the joy of love.
In the fourth line, "shitagokoro yoshi," "shitagokoro" means the heart within, repeating the "shita" of the second line. It shows a heart at ease, and the poem breaks here.
In the last line, "utate kono koro," "utate" means more and more, closing with the sense that this is ever more so these days.
- Source
- Manyoshu
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