今日よりは夏の衣に成りぬれど
着る人さへは変はらざりけり
着る人さへは変はらざりけり
- Roma-ji
-
Kyō yori wa natsu no koromo ni narinuredo kiru hito sae wa kawarazari keri
- English Translation
-
From this day onward
we have changed to the robes
of the summer, yet
the one who wears them, even he,
has not changed at all, it seems
- Meaning
- From today we have changed into summer robes, yet the one who wears them has not changed at all.
- Commentary
-
Book Four Summer Poems 147
Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says that though from today the robes are those of summer, the one who wears them has not changed. Though the change of dress on the first day of the Fourth Month renews one's attire, one's lot and heart remain as before.
Placed at the head of the summer book, it announces the beginning of summer through the day of changing robes.
The poet is listed as "anonymous," and the composer's name has not come down to us. The text gives the author as "yomibito mo," but it is treated here as anonymous.
The first line, "Kyō yori wa," means "from today," pointing to the change of dress on the first of the Fourth Month. As the opening poem it announces the start of summer, answering the last poem of the book, 216, which marks summer's end with a purification on the last day of the Sixth Month.
The second line, "natsu no koromo ni," names the summer garments put on at the change of season.
In the third line, "nure" is the perfective form of the completive auxiliary "nu," and "do" is adversative: "though it has become."
In the fourth line, "sae" is an additive particle: "even the one who wears them." It sets the renewed robes against their unchanged wearer.
In the last line, "zari" is negative and "keri" expresses a sigh of realization: "has not changed after all."
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Mata mo komu toki zo to omoedo tanomarenu waga mi ni shi areba oshiki haru kana
- Next Poem
-
U no hana no sakeru kakine no tsuki kiyomi inezu kike to ya naku hototogisu