Kakureite waga uki sama o mizu no ue no awa to mo hayaku omoikienan - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

隠れゐて我が憂きさまを水の上の
泡ともはやく思ひ消えなん

Roma-ji: Kakureite waga uki sama o mizu no ue no awa to mo hayaku omoikienan
English Translation: Hiding as you did,
you watched me in my wretched state;
like foam that floats
upon the water, soon your love
will vanish clean away
Meaning: Having hidden and seen me in my wretched state, your feelings will surely vanish soon, like foam floating on the water.
Commentary: Book Sixteen Miscellaneous Poems II 1153

Headnote: "When a man hid and watched me, I sent this."
The poet says that the man who hid and saw her wretched state will soon have his feelings vanish like foam on water. Spied on by a man, the woman likens to fleeting foam both her shame at being seen unadorned and her grief that his love will now cool.
According to the headnote, a man hid and watched the woman, and she sent this to him. 1115 in Book Fifteen also speaks of "mizu no ue no awa ni kienuru," vanishing like foam on the water, sharing the image of what fades away.
The poet is listed as anonymous, and the composer's name has not come down to us.

The first line, "Kakureite," means "hiding," referring to the man's secret watching.
The second line, "waga uki sama o," means "my wretched, unsightly state."
The third line, "mizu no ue no," means "on the water," with an extra syllable.
The fourth line, "awa to mo hayaku," means "soon, like foam," likening his cooling feelings to foam that quickly bursts.
The last line, "omoikienan," means "your feelings will surely vanish," with "nan" strong conjecture. It ends with "kie," to vanish, in keeping with the foam.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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