さざら波間なく立つめる浦をこそ
世に浅しとも見つつ忘れめ
世に浅しとも見つつ忘れめ
- Roma-ji
-
Sazaranami ma naku tatsumeru ura o koso yo ni asashi tomo mitsutsu wasureme
- English Translation
-
A bay where ripples
seem to rise without a pause—
that bay, above all,
I would see as truly shallow,
and seeing so, forget you
- Meaning
- A bay where ripples seem to rise without a pause—that is the kind of place I would see as truly shallow, and so forget.
- Commentary
-
Book Thirteen Love Poems V 926
Headnote: "Sent to a woman."
The poet says that a bay where ripples seem to rise without pause is the one he would see as truly shallow and forget. Likening the woman's heart, about which rumors constantly rise, to a bay never free of ripples, he pushes her away, saying that so shallow a heart he will forget.
According to the headnote, it was sent to a woman. Using the waterside images of a bay and its shallowness to speak of the shallowness of her heart, it becomes a poem full of reproach.
The poet is listed as anonymous, and the composer's name has not come down to us.
The first line, "Sazaranami," means "ripples," small fine waves.
The second line, "ma naku tatsumeru," means "that seem to rise without pause," with "meru" the attributive of the conjectural "meri." The rising of waves overlaps with rumors rising.
The third line, "ura o koso," means "that bay above all," with "koso" an emphatic binding particle.
The fourth line, "yo ni asashi tomo," means "as truly shallow," "yo ni" meaning indeed, truly.
The last line, "mitsutsu wasureme," means "seeing it so, I will forget," with "me," the realis of the volitional "mu," closing the "koso" of the third line.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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Ise no umi no chihiro no hama ni hirou tomo ima wa nani chō kai ka arubeki