よそなれど心ばかりはかけたるを
などかおもひに乾かざるらん
などかおもひに乾かざるらん
- Roma-ji
-
Yoso naredo kokoro bakari wa kaketaru o nado ka omoi ni kawakazaruran
- English Translation
-
Though I am far off,
my heart, at least, I have hung
upon you, and yet
why, in the fire of my longing,
will these sleeves of mine not dry
- Meaning
- Though we are apart, I have hung my whole heart upon you—so why is it that, held to the fire of my longing, my tear-soaked sleeves will not dry?
- Commentary
-
Book Thirteen Love Poems V 988
Headnote: "Sent to a woman."
The poet says that though apart, he has hung his heart on her, and asks why it does not dry in the fire of his longing. Overlaying the hanging of a robe by the fire to dry with hanging one's heart on another, he laments that though love's fire burns, his tear-soaked sleeves will not dry.
According to the headnote, it was sent to a woman. The device of sleeves that will not dry in love's fire is shared with the exchange in 973 and 974 in this book, and from the next poem, 989, an exchange about burning love runs to the end of the book.
The poet is listed as anonymous, and the composer's name has not come down to us.
The first line, "Yoso naredo," means "though we are apart."
The second line, "kokoro bakari wa," means "my heart at least."
The third line, "kaketaru o," means "I have hung it, and yet," overlaying setting one's heart on someone with hanging a robe by the fire to dry. "O" is an adversative conjunctive particle.
The fourth line, "nado ka omoi ni," means "why, in the fire of longing," with "hi" in "omoi" joining "hi," fire. "Ka" is an interrogative binding particle.
The last line, "kawakazaruran," means "do they not dry," with "ran," a form of "ramu," guessing at a present cause and closing the "ka" of the fourth line with the attributive.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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Shirakumo no mina hitomura ni mieshikado tachiidete kimi o omoisometeki
- Next Poem
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Waga koi no kiyuru ma mo naku kurushiki wa awanu nageki ya moewataruran