数ならぬ身をもちにて吉野山
高きなげきを思ひこりぬる
高きなげきを思ひこりぬる
- Roma-ji
-
Kazu naranu mi o mochi nite yoshinoyama takaki nageki o omoikorinuru
- English Translation
-
Of no account,
this self of mine, and yet on
Yoshino's mountain
I felled such lofty timber—
of such grief I've had my fill
- Meaning
- Though I am of no account, I felled the lofty trees of Mount Yoshino, piling up sorrows too high for one like me, and now I have had my fill of them.
- Commentary
-
Book Sixteen Miscellaneous Poems II 1167
Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says that, though of no account, he has piled up lofty sorrows like cutting tall timber on Mount Yoshino and has had his fill. With "nageki" meaning both lament and firewood and "kori" both learning one's lesson and felling trees, he entrusts to a woodcutter on Yoshino his heart, worn out by grief over someone far above him.
A reply follows in the next poem, forming an exchange. The sense of "mochi nite" in the second line remains unclear.
The poet is listed as anonymous, and the composer's name has not come down to us.
The first line, "Kazu naranu," means "of no account." The first line of 1169 in this book opens with the same words, so humble laments stand near each other.
The second line, "mi o mochi nite," seems to mean "being such a self."
The third line, "yoshinoyama," is Mount Yoshino in Yamato, a mountain of tall trees that leads to "takaki," lofty, in the fourth line. The next poem opens with the same word.
The fourth line, "takaki nageki o," means "lofty firewood," with "nageki" joining lament and firewood logs. "Takaki" overlays his longing for someone of high rank.
The last line, "omoikorinuru," means "I have learned my lesson," with "kori" joining learning one's lesson and felling trees.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Shide no yama tadoru tadoru mo koenanade ukiyo no naka ni nani kaeriken
- Next Poem
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Yoshinoyama koen koto koso katakarame koramu nageki no kazu wa shirinan