あだ人もなきにはあらずありながら
我が身にはまだ聞きぞならはぬ
我が身にはまだ聞きぞならはぬ
- Roma-ji
-
Adabito mo naki ni wa arazu arinagara waga mi ni wa mada kiki zo narawanu
- English Translation
-
Fickle lovers, true,
are not lacking in this world,
and yet for my part
never yet have I grown used
to hearing that said of me
- Meaning
- It is not that there are no fickle lovers in this world, but as for me, I have never yet grown used to hearing such things said of me.
- Commentary
-
Book Seventeen Miscellaneous Poems III 1198
Headnote: "When a woman sent word that she had heard he was fickle."
The poet says that fickle lovers are not lacking in the world, but he has never yet grown used to hearing such things of himself. Answering a woman who said she had heard he was inconstant, he gently denies being such a man.
According to the headnote, a woman sent word that she heard he was fickle, and this was his reply.
The poet, "the Minister of the Left," is Fujiwara no Saneyori. The eldest son of Fujiwara no Tadahira, he was Minister of the Left in the reign of Emperor Murakami, when the Gosenshu was compiled, and later became Regent and Chancellor. He was known as the Lord of Ononomiya.
The first line, "Adabito mo," means "fickle lovers," taking up the word of the rumor the woman reported.
The second line, "naki ni wa arazu," means "are not lacking," admitting that the world does hold such people.
The third line, "arinagara," means "and yet, though they exist," with "nagara" concessive.
The fourth line, "waga mi ni wa mada," means "as for me, never yet," setting himself apart from the world at large.
The last line, "kiki zo narawanu," means "have I grown used to hearing," with "zo" closed by the attributive "narawanu." It quietly denies the rumor.
- Author
- Fujiwara no Saneyori
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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Au koto no toshigiri shinuru nageki ni wa mi no kazu naranu mono ni zo arikeru
- Next Poem
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Miyabito to nara mahoshiki o ominaeshi nobe yori kiri no tachiidete zo kuru