あふはかりなくてのみふるわが恋を
人目にかくることのわびしさ
人目にかくることのわびしさ
- Roma-ji
-
Au hakari nakute nomi furu waga koi o hitome ni kakuru koto no wabishisa
- English Translation
-
With no pole to bear
and no means to meet, my love
has passed its long days—
and now to have it hung
upon the eyes of others
- Meaning
- With no means to meet, like having no pole to carry a load, my love has only passed the days; how wretched it is to have it hung upon the eyes of others as an excuse.
- Commentary
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Book Fourteen Love Poems VI 1018
Headnote: "Composed when the other said, 'I am touched by your devotion, but I must hold back because of people's eyes.'"
The poet laments how wretched it is that a love which has passed its days with no means to meet should be put off on the pretext of others' eyes. Answering the beloved's plea of caution, he grieves that, when there is no chance even to meet, to be refused on account of watchers is miserable.
According to the headnote, the beloved said that his devotion was moving, but that she must hold back for fear of being seen. The pun in "au hakari" joins a carrying pole and the means to meet, like "auko" in 1043 in this book, so poems on the same device are set within the book.
The poet is listed as anonymous, and the composer's name has not come down to us.
The first line, "Au hakari," means "the means to meet," with "auhakari" joining a pole for carrying loads and a way to meet. "Auko naki" in the first line of 1043 in this book is the same pun on a carrying pole.
The second line, "nakute nomi furu," means "only passing time without it," with "furu" meaning to pass time.
The third line, "waga koi o," means "my love."
The fourth line, "hitome ni kakuru," means "to hang on the eyes of others," with "kakuru" overlaying the hanging of a load on the pole and the use of watchers as a pretext.
The last line, "koto no wabishisa," means "how wretched it is," ending on a noun to leave a lingering grief.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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