冬の池に住むにほ鳥のつれもなく
下に通はん人に知らすな
下に通はん人に知らすな
- Roma-ji
-
Fuyu no ike ni sumu niodori no tsure mo naku shita ni kayowan hito ni shirasu na
- English Translation
-
On the winter pond
the little grebe that dwells there,
alone, indifferent,
passing below the surface—
let no one know of it
- Meaning
- Like the grebe that lives on the winter pond, going beneath the water with no companion, let us feign indifference and secretly keep our hearts in touch; do not let anyone know.
- Commentary
-
Book Eight Winter Poems 502
Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says that like the grebe on the winter pond that passes beneath the water, they should outwardly feign indifference and secretly keep their hearts in touch, letting no one know. Through the grebe's habit of diving and moving underwater, the poem expresses a love that hides from others' eyes.
Like 460 and 490 in this book, it places "fuyu no ike" in the first line and overlays a winter water bird with the thoughts of love.
The poet is listed as "anonymous," and the composer's name has not come down to us.
The first line, "Fuyu no ike ni," has an extra syllable and means "on the winter pond." 460 and 490 in this book also open with "fuyu no ike."
In the second line, "niodori" is the little grebe, a water bird skilled at diving. The first two lines form a preface leading to the third and fourth lines.
The third line, "tsure mo naku," is a pivot word meaning both "with no companion" and "tsurenaku," feigning indifference.
The fourth line, "shita ni kayowan," overlays passing beneath the water with hearts secretly in touch within.
In the last line, "na" is a prohibitive particle: "let no one know."
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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Mubatama no yoru nomi fureru shirayuki wa teru tsukikage no tsumoru narikeri