恋ひて経むと思ふ心のわりなさは
死にても知れよわすれがたみに
死にても知れよわすれがたみに
- Roma-ji
-
Koite hemu to omou kokoro no warinasa wa shinite mo shire yo wasuregatami ni
- English Translation
-
"I will live on, loving"—
the helplessness of a heart
that thinks such a thing,
know it, even after I'm gone,
as a keepsake not to forget
- Meaning
- Know, even after I am dead, the helpless longing of a heart that resolved to go on living in love—let it be a keepsake you cannot forget.
- Commentary
-
Book Twelve Love Poems IV 820
Headnote: "Sent to someone who had been cruel."
The poet asks him to know, even after her death and as a keepsake, the helplessness of a heart resolved to live on in love. She protests in fierce words that he should understand, if only after she is gone, the pain of loving someone so cold.
According to the headnote, the poem was sent to someone who had been unkind. The next poem, 821, is the posthumous Chancellor's reply, and the two form an exchange.
The poet, Ise, was a daughter of Fujiwara no Tsugukage. She served Empress Onshi, consort of Emperor Uda, and received Uda's favor. Later she bore Nakatsukasa to Prince Atsuyoshi. She is one of the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals.
The first line, "Koite hemu to," means "I will live on, loving," a hypermetric line of six syllables, with "mu" expressing intention.
The second line, "omou kokoro no," means "of the heart that thinks so."
The third line, "warinasa wa," means "the helplessness."
The fourth line, "shinite mo shire yo," means "know it, even after I die," pleading forcefully in the imperative.
The last line, "wasuregatami ni," means "as a keepsake," joining "wasuregatami," a keepsake, with "wasuregatami," because it is hard to forget. 822 in this book also uses the same sound in "katami ni."
- Author
- Ise
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Suminoe no me ni chikakaraba kishi ni ite nami no kazu o mo yomubeki mono o
- Next Poem
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Moshi mo ya to aimimu koto o tanomazu wa kaku furu hodo ni mazu zo kenamashi