干しがてに濡れぬべきかな唐衣
乾くたもとの世々になければ
乾くたもとの世々になければ
- Roma-ji
-
Hoshigate ni nurenubeki kana karakoromo kawaku tamoto no yoyo ni nakereba
- English Translation
-
Never to be dried,
it must stay wet, I think,
this Chinese robe,
for never in any age
are its sleeves to be dry
- Meaning
- My fine robe must stay wet, never drying, for there will be no age in which its sleeves are ever dry.
- Commentary
-
Book Nine Love Poems I 519
Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says that his fine robe must stay wet, unable to be dried, for its sleeves will never be dry in any age. Ceaseless tears of love are expressed through sleeves that never dry.
In the conceit of sleeves soaked by tears of love, declaring that no age will ever see them dry shows that the grief of love never ends.
The poet is listed as "anonymous," and the composer's name has not come down to us.
The first line, "Hoshigate ni," means "unable to dry it."
The second line, "nurenubeki kana," means "it must surely stay wet," and the poem pauses here.
The third line, "karakoromo," means "a fine robe," originally a garment in the Chinese style.
The fourth line, "kawaku tamoto no," means "sleeves that dry." "Kawakanu wa" in the third line of 562 in this book also sings of tear-soaked sleeves that never dry.
The last line, "yoyo ni nakereba," means "since in no age are there any," giving the reason for the second line in inverted order.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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