かかりける人の心をしらつゆの
置ける物とも頼みけるかな
置ける物とも頼みけるかな
- Roma-ji
-
Kakarikeru hito no kokoro o shiratsuyu no okeru mono to mo tanomikeru kana
- English Translation
-
Such was her heart,
and yet, unknowing, I thought
it would linger here,
like the white dew settling—
and trusted in it so
- Meaning
- Not knowing that hers was such a heart, I trusted that it would stay with me, as the white dew settles and remains.
- Commentary
-
Book Ten Love Poems II 613
Headnote: "A woman with whom he had exchanged words now and then, without any special intent, was lured away by another against her will, so he wrote this on a set of night-duty bedding and sent it."
The poet laments that, not knowing her heart was like this, he had trusted it to stay with him as the white dew settles. He grieves the change of heart of a woman who left with another man, likening it to white dew that quickly vanishes.
According to the headnote, a woman with whom he had exchanged words from time to time was lured away by another against her will, so he wrote this on night-duty bedding and sent it. 652 in this book also closes its fourth and last lines with "hito no kokoro o tanomikeru kana," voicing the same lament.
The poet, Fujiwara no Atsutada, was the third son of the Minister of the Left Fujiwara no Tokihira and served as Provisional Middle Counselor. He is one of the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals, and his "aimite no nochi no kokoro ni kurabureba" is included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu.
The first line, "Kakarikeru," means "such as it was," pointing to the woman's change of heart.
The second line, "hito no kokoro o," means "her heart," the same line as the fourth line of 652 in this book.
In the third line, "shira" is a pivot word joining "shirazu," not knowing, and "shiratsuyu," white dew.
The fourth line, "okeru mono to mo," means "as something that had settled and stayed with me," with "oku" an associated word with dew.
The last line, "tanomikeru kana," means "how I trusted it," with "kana" an exclamatory particle. It is the same last line as 652 in this book.
- Author
- Fujiwara no Atsutada
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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