降りとけぬ君がゆきげの雫ゆゑ
袂にとけぬ氷しにけり
袂にとけぬ氷しにけり
- Roma-ji
-
Furitokenu kimi ga yukige no shizuku yue tamoto ni tokenu kōri shinikeri
- English Translation
-
From your coming, like snow
that falls and never melts,
those melting drops
have frozen in my sleeve
into ice that will not thaw
- Meaning
- Because of the drops from your visits, cold as snow that falls and never melts, my sleeves have frozen into ice that will not thaw.
- Commentary
-
Book Ten Love Poems II 676
Headnote: "When she had begun a relationship with Kanesuke Ason, but they could not always meet."
The poet says that because of the meltwater of his visits, cold as snow that never thaws, ice that will not melt has formed in her sleeves. Resenting a man who rarely visits though they have become lovers, she pleads that the tears she has shed have frozen in her sleeves.
According to the headnote, she composed it when she had begun a relationship with Fujiwara no Kanesuke but could not always meet him. Following a poem by Fujiwara no Kiyotada, this poem by his mother is placed here.
The poet, called "Kiyotada ga haha," is the mother of Fujiwara no Kiyotada and wife of Fujiwara no Kanesuke. Few details of her life have come down to us.
In the first line, "toke" is a pivot word joining snow that "melts" and a heart that "opens": "falling and never melting, never warming."
In the second line, "yukige" is a pivot word joining "yukige," melting snow, and "yuki," your visits.
The third line, "shizuku yue," means "because of those drops," a figure for tears.
The fourth line, "tamoto ni tokenu," means "that will not melt in my sleeves," repeating "tokenu" from the first line and layering a heart that will not soften.
The last line, "kōri shinikeri," means "has turned to ice," with "keri" expressing the exclamation of realization.
- Author
- Mother of Kiyotada
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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