いつしかとまつちの山の桜花
待ちてもよそに聞くが悲しさ
待ちてもよそに聞くが悲しさ
- Roma-ji
-
Itsu shika to Matsuchi no yama no sakurabana machite mo yoso ni kiku ga kanashisa
- English Translation
-
When will it be, I thought,
waiting for the cherry flowers
of Matsuchi's hill—
yet though I wait, I hear of them
from afar, and that is sad
- Meaning
- I longed for you as one waits for the cherry blossoms of Mount Matsuchi, yet for all my waiting I only hear of you from afar—how sad it is.
- Commentary
-
Book Eighteen Miscellaneous Poems IV 1255
Headnote: "When she heard that someone who had been in a distant province had come up to the capital and waited for him, but he came to the capital without calling on her."
The poet laments that though she waited for the cherry blossoms of Matsuchi, she hears of them only from afar. Likening one who came to the capital but did not visit to cherry blossoms she longed to see bloom, she mourns that for all her waiting she only hears of him by report.
According to the headnote, someone who had been in a distant province came up to the capital, and she waited for him, but he did not call on her.
The poet is anonymous and the name is not known.
The first line, "Itsu shika to," means "when, oh when," expressing eager longing.
The second line, "Matsuchi no yama no," is a pivot word joining the place name Matsuchi with "matsu," to wait. It also echoes "machite" in the fourth line.
The third line, "sakurabana," means "cherry blossoms," likening the awaited one to blossoms long awaited.
The fourth line, "machite mo yoso ni," means "though I wait, from afar." Poem 1303 of this book likewise laments one who came to the capital but does not visit.
The last line, "kiku ga kanashisa," means "how sad it is to hear," ending on a noun.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Asa goto ni mishi miyakoji no taenureba koto ayamari ni tou hito mo nashi
- Next Poem
-
Ise wataru kawa wa sode yori nagaruredo tou ni towarenu mi wa usenu meri