人心いさやしら浪高ければ
寄らむ渚ぞかねて悲しき
寄らむ渚ぞかねて悲しき
- Roma-ji
-
Hitogokoro isa ya shiranami takakereba yoramu nagisa zo kanete kanashiki
- English Translation
-
A person's heart—
who can tell? The white waves rise
so very high,
the shore I'd draw toward fills me
with sorrow in advance
- Meaning
- Who can tell what lies in another's heart? The white waves run so high that the shore I would draw near already fills me with sorrow.
- Commentary
-
Book Sixteen Miscellaneous Poems II 1154
Headnote: "When I was troubled by many thoughts about my lot in life, a woman friend urged me to follow her advice after all."
The poet says that no one can tell another's heart, and that since the white waves run high, the shore she would draw near grieves her already. In answer to a friend urging her to settle her future, she likens her fear of not knowing the heart of the one she would rely on to a boat approaching a shore beaten by high white waves.
According to the headnote, while she was troubled by many thoughts about her life, a woman friend urged her to follow her advice after all, and she composed this.
The poet is listed as anonymous, and the composer's name has not come down to us.
The first line, "Hitogokoro," means "another's heart," that of the person she might rely on.
The second line, "isa ya shiranami," means "who knows, white waves," with "shira" joining "shira(zu)," not knowing, and "shira," white.
The third line, "takakereba," means "since they are high," overlaying the high waves with the unfathomable heart of the other.
The fourth line, "yoramu nagisa zo," means "the shore I would approach," with "zo" an emphatic binding particle closed by the attributive "kanashiki" in the last line.
The last line, "kanete kanashiki," means "saddens me in advance," closing the "zo" of the fourth line.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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