世をうみのあわと消えぬる身にしあれば
恨むることぞ数なかりける
恨むることぞ数なかりける
- Roma-ji
-
Yo o umi no awa to kienuru mi ni shi areba uramuru koto zo kazu nakarikeru
- English Translation
-
Weary of this world,
I am like the sea foam
that fades away—
and so my bitter grievances
are hardly worth the count
- Meaning
- Weary of the world, I am like foam on the sea that vanishes away, and so even my resentments are not worth counting.
- Commentary
-
Book Ten Love Poems II 617
Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says that since he is weary of the world and about to vanish like sea foam, even his resentments are not worth counting. He pleads his own transience and conveys a forlornness that cannot even rise to reproach.
The next poem, 618, is Ise's reply, and the exchange uses words connected with the sea.
The poet, called "the Biwa Minister of the Left," is Fujiwara no Nakahira. A son of the Regent Fujiwara no Mototsune, he rose to Minister of the Left. He was so called because he lived at the Biwa mansion, and he is known for his love affair with Ise.
In the first line, "umi" is a pivot word joining "umi," weariness, and "umi," the sea.
The second line, "awa to kienuru," means "vanished like foam," with "awa" an associated word with the sea.
The third line, "mi ni shi areba," means "since I am such a being," with "shi" an emphatic particle.
The fourth line, "uramuru koto zo," means "resenting another," with "zo" an emphatic particle.
The last line, "kazu nakarikeru," means "is not worth counting," closing with the attributive "keru" in answer to "zo" in the fourth line, a kakarimusubi pattern.
- Author
- Fujiwara no Nakahira
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Waga kado no hitomura susuki karikawan kimi ga tenare no koma mo konu kana
- Next Poem
-
Watatsumi to tanomeshi koto mo asenureba ware zo waga mi no ura wa uramuru