時分かぬ松の緑も限りなき
おもひにはなほ色や燃ゆらん
おもひにはなほ色や燃ゆらん
- Roma-ji
-
Toki wakanu matsu no midori mo kagiri naki omoi ni wa nao iro ya moyuran
- English Translation
-
Even the pine's green,
which knows no change of seasons,
in the boundless fire
of a love that has no end,
may still blaze into color
- Meaning
- Even the green of the pine, which knows no seasons, may still flare into color in the fire of a boundless love.
- Commentary
-
Book Twelve Love Poems IV 835
Headnote: "Reply."
The poet says that even the green of the pine, which knows no seasons, may still blaze into color in the fire of a boundless love. To the preceding poem, which took the reddening leaves below as a change of heart, this reply retorts that the unchanging heart has instead taken color by burning in love's fire.
It is the reply to the preceding poem, 834, taking up its "pine," "green," and "autumn leaves," and answering that the color came from burning in love's fire.
The poet is listed as anonymous, and the composer's name has not come down to us.
The first line in the text reads "toki wakane," which does not match "toki wakanu" in the reading line. Since "wakane" makes no sense, we follow the reading line here.
The first line, "Toki wakanu," means "knowing no seasons," describing a pine that stays green all year.
The second line, "matsu no midori mo," means "even the green of the pine," taking up "matsu o midori to" in the preceding poem.
The third line, "kagiri naki," means "boundless."
The fourth line, "omoi ni wa nao," means "still, in the fire of love," with the "hi" of "omoi" also meaning "fire."
The last line, "iro ya moyuran," means "may its color blaze," with "ya" an interrogative binding particle closed by the attributive "ran." "Moyu," to burn, is associated with "fire."
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Takasago no matsu o midori to mishi koto wa shita no momiji o shiranu narikeri
- Next Poem
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Mizutori no hakanaki ato ni toshi o hete kayou bakari no e ni koso arikere