Kakurenu ni shinobiwabinuru waga mi kana Ide no kawazu to nari ya shinamashi - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

隠れ沼に忍びわびぬる我が身かな
井手の蛙となりやしなまし

Roma-ji: Kakurenu ni shinobiwabinuru waga mi kana Ide no kawazu to nari ya shinamashi
English Translation: Like a hidden marsh,
I can bear no more to hide—
such is my sad lot;
shall I become a frog
of Ide and cry aloud
Meaning: Like a marsh hidden in the grass, I can no longer bear to keep my love concealed. Shall I become a frog of Ide and cry it out aloud?
Commentary: Book Ten Love Poems II 606

Headnote: "Intending to begin declaring his love to someone."
The poet laments that, like a marsh hidden from view, he can no longer bear to keep his love secret, and wonders whether to become a frog of Ide and cry aloud. Unable to endure a hidden love, he wishes to voice his feelings as a frog raises its call.
According to the headnote, like the preceding poem, he composed it intending to declare his love to someone for the first time.
The poet, called "Tadafusa Ason," is Fujiwara no Tadafusa. A son of Fujiwara no Okitsugu, he served as Master of the Right Capital Office, among other posts, and was known for his gift in music.

The first line, "Kakurenu ni," means "in a marsh hidden from view by grasses," a figure for a love concealed from others.
The second line, "shinobiwabinuru," means "unable to bear hiding any longer."
In the third line, "kana" is an exclamatory particle, and the poem pauses here.
The fourth line, "Ide no kawazu to," means "as a frog of Ide," a poetic place in Yamashiro famed for its yellow kerria and frogs.
The last line, "nari ya shinamashi," means "shall I become?" with "mashi" expressing a hesitant intention: to cry out like a frog and confess his love.
Author: Fujiwara no Tadanobu
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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