いたづらにたびたび死ぬと言ふめれば
逢ふには何をかへむとすらん
逢ふには何をかへむとすらん
- Roma-ji
-
Itazura ni tabitabi shinu to iu mereba au ni wa nani o kaemu to suran
- English Translation
-
Since it seems you say
again and again in vain
that you will die,
what then do you mean to give
in exchange for meeting me
- Meaning
- You seem to say, again and again and to no purpose, that you will die. Then what, I wonder, do you intend to give in exchange for meeting me?
- Commentary
-
Book Eleven Love Poems III 707
Headnote: "When Minamoto no Saneakira said he would surely die unless she gave him hope."
The poet says he keeps saying he will die, so what does he plan to trade for meeting her? Turning the stock lover's phrase of giving one's life for a meeting against him, she teases a man who speaks of death so lightly.
According to the headnote, Minamoto no Saneakira had said he would die if she gave him nothing to hope for, and she replied with this poem. The next poem, 708, is Saneakira's reply, and the two form an exchange.
The poet, Nakatsukasa, was a daughter of Prince Atsuyoshi, a son of Emperor Uda, and of Ise. One of the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals, she is also known for her exchanges of love poems with Minamoto no Saneakira.
The first line, "Itazura ni," means "in vain, to no purpose."
The second line, "tabitabi shinu to," means "that you will die again and again," quoting his words.
The third line, "iu mereba," means "since you seem to say," "mere" being the perfective form of the softening auxiliary "meri."
The fourth line, "au ni wa nani o," means "for meeting, what." Drawing on the idea of exchanging one's life for a meeting, she teases that if he throws away his life so often, he will have nothing left to trade.
The last line, "kaemu to suran," means "do you intend to exchange," with "ran" expressing present conjecture.
- Author
- Nakatsukasa
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Omowamu to tanomeshi hito wa kawaraji o towarenu ware ya aranu naruran
- Next Poem
-
Shinu shinu to kiku kiku dani mo aimineba inochi o itsu no yo ni ka nokosan