寝られぬをしひて我が寝る春の夜の
夢をうつつになすよしもがな
夢をうつつになすよしもがな
- Roma-ji
-
Nerarenu o shiite waga nuru haru no yo no yume o utsutsu ni nasu yoshi mogana
- English Translation
-
Though sleep will not come,
forcing myself to sleep, I
in the night of spring—
if only there were some way
to make my dream come true
- Meaning
- Unable to sleep, I force myself to sleep on this spring night; if only there were some way to turn my dream into reality.
- Commentary
-
Book Two Spring Poems II 76
Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet wishes there were some means of making real the dream seen on a spring night, after forcing sleep when longing kept it away. The ache of a love that can be met only in dreams is entrusted to the dream of a brief, fleeting spring night.
The poet is listed as "anonymous," and the composer's name has not come down to us. The text gives the poet as "yomibito mo," which is treated here as "anonymous."
In the first line, "Nerarenu o," "re" expresses possibility and "nu" negation: "that I cannot sleep."
In the second line, "shiite" means "forcibly," showing the poet pushing to sleep despite wakefulness.
The third line, "haru no yo no," names the spring night, thought of as short and fleeting.
In the fourth line, "utsutsu" means reality, set against the dream.
In the last line, "yoshi" means means or method, and "mogana" expresses a wish.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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