君をのみしのぶの里へ行くものを
あひづの山のはるけきやなぞ
あひづの山のはるけきやなぞ
- Roma-ji
-
Kimi o nomi Shinobu no sato e yuku mono o Aizu no yama no harukeki ya nazo
- English Translation
-
You go to Shinobu,
the village of longing, longing
for you alone—
why then is Aizu,
the hill of meeting, so far
- Meaning
- You go to Shinobu, the village of longing, where I long for you alone—so why must Aizu, the mountain of meeting, be so far away?
- Commentary
-
Book Nineteen Parting Poems 1331
Headnote: "Sent to the daughter of Tomonori when she was going to Michinoku."
The poet asks why Mount Aizu is so distant when the traveler goes to the village of Shinobu, longing for her alone. To a friend going to Michinoku, she joins the place name Shinobu with "shinobu," to long for, and Aizu with "au," to meet, lamenting that meeting grows distant though they long for each other.
According to the headnote, she sent this to the daughter of Ki no Tomonori when she went down to Michinoku.
The poet, "the daughter of Fujiwara no Shigemoto," is a daughter of Fujiwara no Shigemoto, a son of Fujiwara no Kunitsune. Little is known of her life.
The first line, "Kimi o nomi," means "you alone."
The second line, "Shinobu no sato e," is a pivot word joining the place name Shinobu in Michinoku with "shinobu," to long for.
The third line, "yuku mono o," means "you go, and yet," with "mono o" concessive.
The fourth line, "Aizu no yama no," is a pivot word joining the place name Aizu in Michinoku with "au," to meet. It pairs with "Shinobu" in the second line.
The last line, "harukeki ya nazo," means "why is it so far."
- Author
- Daughter of Fujiwara no Shigemoto
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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