Hito shirezu omou kokoro wa Ōshima no naruto wa nashi ni nageku koro kana - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

人知れず思ふ心は大島の
なるとはなしに嘆くころかな

Roma-ji: Hito shirezu omou kokoro wa Ōshima no naruto wa nashi ni nageku koro kana
English Translation: My heart that longs
in secret, known to none,
like Ōshima's
roaring strait, makes no sound,
yet these days I only grieve
Meaning: My heart, longing in secret, makes no sound like the roaring strait of Ōshima, yet these days I can only grieve.
Commentary: Book Nine Love Poems I 593

Headnote: "Sent to a woman."
The poet says that his heart, longing in secret, makes no sound like the roaring strait of Ōshima, yet these days he can only grieve. He entrusts the grief of a hidden love that cannot be shown to the name of the roaring strait.
According to the headnote, the poem was sent to a woman.
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, "Hito shirezu," means "unknown to others."
The second line, "omou kokoro wa," means "my heart that longs."
The third line, "Ōshima no," refers to Ōshima, said to be in the province of Suō, a poetic place leading to the strait known for its whirlpools.
In the fourth line, "naruto" is a pivot word joining the "Naruto," roaring strait of whirlpools, and "naru to," becoming talked about: "without it becoming a rumor."
The last line, "nageku koro kana," means "these days of grieving," with "kana" an exclamatory particle.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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