Uchihisasu miya ni wa aredo tsukikusa no utsurou kokoro waga omowanaku ni

うちひさす宮にはあれど月草の
うつろふ心我が思はなくに

Roma-ji: Uchihisasu miya ni wa aredo tsukikusa no utsurou kokoro waga omowanaku ni
English Translation: Though I serve at court
where the sun shines bright,
a heart that fades
like the dayflower's blue
is not a heart I have
Meaning: Though I serve at the bright palace, I have no heart that fades like the color of the dayflower.
Commentary: Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts through Things 3058

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts through Things"
The poet, who serves at the glittering court and meets many people, vows to have no heart that fades like the dayflower's color. It forms a pair with the next poem, 3059, both vowing never to change.
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, "uchihisasu," meaning "where the sun shines bright," is a pillow word for "miya," the palace.
Line two, "miya ni wa aredo," means "though I serve at court," showing one who meets many people at the glittering palace.
Line three, "tsukikusa no," the dayflower, is a pillow word for "utsurou," to fade, because dye from its flower fades easily.
Line four, "utsurou kokoro," means "a fading, changing heart."
Line five, "waga omowanaku ni," means "I do not have," vowing never to change.
Author: Unknown
Source: Manyoshu
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