Kimi ni yori waga mi zo tsuraki tamadare no mizu wa koishi to omowamashi ya wa - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

君によりわが身ぞつらき玉垂れの
みずは恋しと思はましやは

Roma-ji: Kimi ni yori waga mi zo tsuraki tamadare no mizu wa koishi to omowamashi ya wa
English Translation: Because of you
this life of mine is painful;
behind jeweled blinds,
had I not seen you,
would I ever have longed so
Meaning: It is because of you that I suffer so; had I not glimpsed you through the jeweled blinds, would I ever have known this longing?
Commentary: Book Nine Love Poems I 566

Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says it is because of her that he suffers so, and asks whether he would ever have known longing had he not glimpsed her through the jeweled blinds. He appeals with the pain of a love begun by a single glance.
Through the device of leading from "tamadare no" to "misu," blinds, and turning it into "mizu," not seeing, the poem shows that seeing her was the beginning of love.
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, "Kimi ni yori," means "because of you."
The second line, "waga mi zo tsuraki," means "it is I who suffer," the particle "zo" and the attributive "tsuraki" forming a kakarimusubi pattern. The poem pauses here.
The third line, "tamadare no," means "of jeweled blinds," a pillow word leading to "misu," blinds.
In the fourth line, "mizu" is a pivot word meaning both "misu," blinds, and "mizu," not seeing: "had I not seen you, that I long."
In the last line, "mashi" is a counterfactual auxiliary and "ya wa" is rhetorical: "would I have thought so? I would not."
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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