Nikukaranu hito no kiseken nureginu wa omoi ni aezu ima kawakinan - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

憎からぬ人の着せけんぬれぎぬは
おもひにあへず今乾きなん

Roma-ji: Nikukaranu hito no kiseken nureginu wa omoi ni aezu ima kawakinan
English Translation: That wet robe of blame
put on you by one you find
far from hateful, dear—
in the fire of my thoughts
surely it will soon be dry
Meaning: If that wet robe was put on you by someone you find far from hateful, it will soon dry, unable to withstand the fire of my jealous thoughts.
Commentary: Book Thirteen Love Poems V 956

Headnote: "Reply."
The wife says that if the wet robe was put on him by someone he finds far from hateful, it will soon dry in the fire of her thoughts. To her husband's excuse of a false accusation, she replies with irony that since it was put on him by the other woman, it will dry in the fire of her own jealousy.
It is the reply to the preceding poem, 955. Taking up "nureginu" and "hiru," drying, she answers the husband who says it can never dry that it will dry at once in the fire of her thoughts, reversing wet and dry.
The poet, Chujo no Naishi, was the wife of Ono no Yoshifuru and served as a palace attendant. Little more is known of her life.

The first line, "Nikukaranu," means "not hateful," pointing to the woman her husband favors.
The second line, "hito no kiseken," means "that someone put on you, it seems," with "ken," a form of "kemu," expressing hearsay or conjecture about the past.
The third line, "nureginu wa," means "the wet robe," taking up the word from the fourth line of the preceding poem.
The fourth line, "omoi ni aezu," means "unable to withstand the fire of my thoughts," with "hi" in "omoi" joining "hi," fire, likening jealousy to fire.
The last line, "ima kawakinan," means "will soon dry," with "nan" the perfective "nu" joined to the conjectural "mu." It answers "hiru yoshi mo nashi" in the preceding poem.
Author: Chujo no Naishi
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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