厭はるる身を憂はしみいつしかと
あすか川をも頼むべらなり
あすか川をも頼むべらなり
- Roma-ji
-
Itowaruru mi o urewashimi itsushika to asukagawa o mo tanomu beranari
- English Translation
-
Grieved that I am
a self so much disliked,
I long for tomorrow,
and even the Asuka,
it seems, I lean upon
- Meaning
- Grieving that I am disliked, I long for tomorrow to come, and it seems I even place my hopes in the Asuka River, whose name means "tomorrow."
- Commentary
-
Book Eleven Love Poems III 751
Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says that grieving at being disliked, she longs for tomorrow and even seems to rely on the Asuka River, which bears tomorrow's name. She voices a clinging hope that though she is shunned today, his heart might change by tomorrow.
Following the preceding poem, 750, it sings of the Asuka River, and the next poem, 752, is the reply of the Posthumous Chancellor.
The poet, Ise, was a daughter of Fujiwara no Tsugukage, Governor of Ise, and served Onshi, consort of Emperor Uda. One of the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals, her "naniwagata mijikaki ashi no fushi no ma mo" is included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu.
The first line, "Itowaruru," means "disliked."
The second line, "mi o urewashimi," means "grieving over myself," with "mi" a suffix expressing cause.
The third line, "itsushika to," expresses eager waiting: "how soon."
In the fourth line, "asukagawa o mo," "asuka" is a pivot word meaning both the place name Asuka and "asu," tomorrow. Following "asukagawa" in the third line of the preceding poem, 750, it sings of the same river.
The last line, "tanomu beranari," means "it seems I rely on," with "beranari" expressing conjecture.
- Author
- Ise
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Fuchi wa se ni narikawaru chō asukagawa watarimite koso shiru bekarikere
- Next Poem
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Asukagawa sekite todomuru mono naraba fuchise ni naru to nani ka iwasen