きはまりて我れも逢はむと思へども
人の言こそ繁き君にあれ
人の言こそ繁き君にあれ
- Roma-ji
-
Kiwamarite ware mo awamu to omoedomo hito no koto koso shigeki kimi ni are
- English Translation
-
With all my heart
I too long to meet with you,
but it's you, my dear,
about whom the people's talk
grows thickest of them all
- Meaning
- I too long with all my heart to meet you, but it is about you that the gossip grows thickest.
- Commentary
-
Book Twelve Dialogue Poems 3114
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Dialogue Poems"
A man turns the preceding poem's reproach back on her: he too longs to meet, but it is she who draws the most gossip. It is a witty reply that turns the blame around.
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, "kiwamarite," means "utterly, with all my heart."
Line two, "ware mo awamu to," means "that I too would meet you," answering the reproach by saying he feels the same.
Line three, "omoedomo," means "though I think so."
Line four, "hito no koto koso," means "people's talk," with "koso" concluded by the realis "are" in line five.
Line five, "shigeki kimi ni are," means "it is you about whom it is thick," turning the blame back on her.
- Author
- Unknown
- Source
- Manyoshu
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