祈りけるみなかみさへぞ恨めしき
今日より外に影の見えねば
今日より外に影の見えねば
- Roma-ji
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Inorikeru minakami sae zo urameshiki kyō yori hoka ni kage no mieneba
- English Translation
-
The river source,
its god to whom you prayed,
I resent as well,
for apart from this one day
your reflection never shows
- Meaning
- I resent even the god of the river's source to whom you prayed, for except for today, your image never appears.
- Commentary
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Book Nine Love Poems I 586
Headnote: "Reply."
The poet answers that she resents even the god of the river's source to whom he prayed, for except for today his image never appears. To the man who lamented that his prayers were in vain, she retorts by reproaching him for visiting so rarely.
It is a reply to the preceding poem. It answers "minakami ni inoru" with "inorikeru minakami," and "yoso ni miru" with "kage no mieneba."
The poet is listed as "anonymous," and the composer's name has not come down to us.
The first line, "Inorikeru," means "to which you prayed," taking up "inoru kai naku" in the second line of the preceding poem.
In the second line, "minakami" is a pivot word meaning both "the river's source" and "the water god," taking up the first line of the preceding poem. "Sae" means "even."
The third line, "urameshiki," means "hateful," closing in the attributive form in answer to "zo" in the second line. The poem pauses here.
The fourth line, "kyō yori hoka ni," means "apart from today."
The last line, "kage no mieneba," means "since your reflection does not appear," with "kage," reflection, an associated word with water. It takes up "yoso ni miru" in the last line of the preceding poem.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Minakami ni inoru kai naku namidagawa ukite mo hito o yoso ni miru kana
- Next Poem
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Iro fukaku someshi tamoto no itodoshiku namida ni sae mo kosa masaru kana