しるしなきおもひとぞ聞く富士の嶺も
かごとばかりの煙なるらん
かごとばかりの煙なるらん
- Roma-ji
-
Shirushi naki omoi to zo kiku fuji no ne mo kagoto bakari no keburi naruran
- English Translation
-
A fire of longing
that yields nothing, so I hear—
and Fuji's high peak,
its smoke too, I suppose,
rises only as a pretext
- Meaning
- I hear that yours is a fire of longing that yields nothing; I suppose the smoke of Fuji's peak, too, is smoke that rises only as a pretext.
- Commentary
-
Book Fourteen Love Poems VI 1015
Headnote: "Reply."
The reply says that she hears his is a fire of longing that yields nothing, and that the smoke of Fuji too must be smoke of mere pretext. Taking up the smoke of Fuji and the fire of love from the preceding poem, she suspects that his burning passion is only an excuse with nothing behind it.
According to the headnote, it is the woman's reply to the preceding poem, 1014. Where he pleaded "omoi ni moyuru keburi," smoke burning from love's fire, she recasts it as "kagoto bakari no keburi," smoke of pretext, retorting that it burns only in words.
The poet is listed as anonymous, and the composer's name has not come down to us.
The first line, "Shirushi naki," means "without effect," saying that the longing bears no fruit.
The second line, "omoi to zo kiku," means "a fire of longing, so I hear," with the "hi" of "omoi" also meaning fire. "Zo" is an emphatic binding particle closed by the attributive "kiku." The poem pauses here.
The third line, "fuji no ne mo," means "Fuji's peak as well," taking up the first line of the preceding poem.
The fourth line, "kagoto bakari no," means "of mere pretext," with "kagoto" meaning an excuse or a false pretext.
The last line, "keburi naruran," means "must be smoke," turning "keburi narikeri" at the end of the preceding poem into a conjecture.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Fuji no ne o yoso ni zo kikishi ima wa waga omoi ni moyuru keburi narikeri
- Next Poem
-
Iisashite todomeraru naru ikemizu no nami izukata ni omoiyoruran