祝部らが斎くみもろのまそ鏡
懸けて偲ひつ逢ふ人ごとに
懸けて偲ひつ逢ふ人ごとに
- Roma-ji
-
Hafuri ra ga itsuku mimoro no masokagami kakete shinoitsu au hito goto ni
- English Translation
-
Like the mirror hung
in the shrine the priests
so purely tend,
I have hung you in my heart,
with every soul I meet
- Meaning
- Like the mirror hung in the shrine the priests tend with reverence, I have kept you in my heart with every person I meet.
- Commentary
-
Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts through Things 2981
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts through Things"
Using the mirror hung in a shrine tended by priests as an introduction, the poet sings of keeping the beloved in mind with every person met. The image of the sacred mirror conveys the depth and devotion of the poet's feelings.
The poet is unknown. Book Twelve, titled the second part of "Love Poems Exchanged Old and New," gathers love poems by people whose names have not come down to us, arranged by category.
Line one, "hafuri ra ga," means "the shrine priests."
Line two, "itsuku mimoro no," means "of the sacred place they tend."
Line three, "masokagami," is the mirror hung and worshipped at the shrine, and the lines up to here form an introduction leading to "kakete," hanging.
Line four, "kakete shinoitsu," means "I have kept you in my heart," and the poem pauses here.
Line five, "au hito goto ni," means "with everyone I meet," showing that whoever the poet meets, the beloved comes to mind.
- Author
- Unknown
- Source
- Manyoshu
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Masokagami miakanu imo ni awazu shite tsuki no heyukeba ikeri tomo nashi
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Hari wa aredo imo shi nakereba tsukeme ya to ware o nayamashi tayuru himo no o