袖濡れて別れはすとも唐衣
行くとな言ひそきたりとを見む
行くとな言ひそきたりとを見む
- Roma-ji
-
Sode nurete wakare wa su tomo karakoromo yuku to na iiso kitari to o mimu
- English Translation
-
Though we part from here
with our sleeves wet through with tears,
of this Chinese robe
do not say that you are going—
I'll see that you have come, have worn it
- Meaning
- Though we part with our sleeves wet with tears, do not say you are going in this Chinese robe—when you wear it, I will see it as your having come to me.
- Commentary
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Book Nineteen Parting Poems 1328
Headnote: "Sent with a set of clothes to someone setting out on a journey."
The poet asks the traveler not to say "going" though they part with wet sleeves, and says she will see the wearing of the robe as coming. Sending clothes to a traveler and joining "kitari," having put on, with "kitari," having come, she refuses to think of the parting as going, and will regard the wearing of her gift as the traveler's coming to her side.
According to the headnote, it was sent with a set of clothes to someone setting out on a journey. The next poem is the reply, and the two form an exchange.
The poet is anonymous and the name is not known.
The first line, "Sode nurete," means "our sleeves wet with tears."
The second line, "wakare wa su tomo," means "though we part," with "tomo" a concessive supposition.
The third line, "karakoromo," means "a Chinese robe," the clothes of the headnote.
The fourth line, "yuku to na iiso," means "do not say you are going," with "na ... so" a prohibition. The poem pauses here.
The last line, "kitari to o mimu," is a pivot word on "kitari," both having put on and having come: I will see it as your coming. "Put on" is an associated word with "robe," and "going" in the fourth line pairs with "come."
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Kimi ga yuku kata ni ari chō Namidagawa mazu wa sode ni zo nagaru beranaru
- Next Poem
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Wakareji wa kokoro mo yukazu karakoromo kireba namida zo saki ni tachikeru