Mi no uki o shireba hashita ni narinubemi omoi wa mune no kogare nomi suru - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

身の憂きを知ればはしたになりぬべみ
思ひは胸のこがれのみする

Roma-ji: Mi no uki o shireba hashita ni narinubemi omoi wa mune no kogare nomi suru
English Translation: Knowing my sad lot,
I fear it would come to nothing
half-done, and so
the fire of my love does nothing
but scorch within my breast
Meaning: Knowing the sorrow of my lot, I fear it would all come to nothing half-done, and so the fire of my love only smolders, scorching my breast.
Commentary: Book Eighteen Miscellaneous Poems IV 1275

Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says that, knowing her unhappy lot and fearing it would end half-done, her love does nothing but scorch her breast. Knowing her own station, she cannot confess her feelings, and sings of a love that only burns within.
The poet, Ise, was a daughter of Fujiwara no Tsugukage, Governor of Ise, and served Fujiwara no Onshi, consort of Emperor Uda. She received the emperor's favor and later bore Nakatsukasa to Prince Atsuyoshi. One of the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals, she is represented in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu by "Naniwagata mijikaki ashi no fushi no ma mo."

The first line, "Mi no uki o," means "the sorrow of my lot."
The second line, "shireba hashita ni," means "since I know it, half-done," with "hashita" meaning neither one thing nor the other.
The third line, "narinubemi," means "since it would likely become," with "bemi," the stem of "beshi" plus "mi," giving a reason.
The fourth line, "omoi wa mune no," means "my love, in my breast," with the "hi" of "omoi" echoing "hi," fire.
The last line, "kogare nomi suru," means "does nothing but scorch," with "fire" and "scorch" associated words.
Author: Ise
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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