岩瀬山谷の下水うち忍び
人の見ぬ間は流れてぞ経る
人の見ぬ間は流れてぞ経る
- Roma-ji
-
Iwaseyama tani no shitamizu uchishinobi hito no minu ma wa nagarete zo furu
- English Translation
-
On Iwase Hill,
like the water deep below
in the valley, hidden,
while no one sees, I let
my tears flow as I live on
- Meaning
- Like the water flowing hidden in the valley below Iwase Hill, I keep my love secret, and when no one is looking I pass my days in flowing tears.
- Commentary
-
Book Nine Love Poems I 557
Headnote: "Sent to someone loved in secret."
The poet says that like the water flowing hidden in the valley below Iwase Hill, he keeps his love secret and passes his days in tears while no one is looking. The pain of a love hidden from others' eyes is likened to unseen water deep in a valley.
According to the headnote, the poem was sent to someone loved in secret.
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."
The first line, "Iwaseyama," is a poetic place said to be a mountain in Yamato; containing "iwa," rock, in its name, it leads to the hidden water of the valley.
The second line, "tani no shitamizu," means "the water flowing unseen at the bottom of the valley," and the first two lines lead to "uchishinobi" in the third line.
The third line, "uchishinobi," means "keeping it secret."
The fourth line, "hito no minu ma wa," means "while no one is looking."
The last line, "nagarete zo furu," means "I pass my days with tears flowing," with "nagare," to flow, an associated word with the hidden water. The particle "zo" and the attributive "furu" form a kakarimusubi pattern.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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