百年と祝ふを我は聞きながら
思ふがためはあかずぞありける
思ふがためはあかずぞありける
- Roma-ji
-
Momotose to iwau o ware wa kikinagara omou ga tame wa akazu zo arikeru
- English Translation
-
Though I hear them pray,
"May you live a hundred years,"
yet for one I love,
I find that even this
is never quite enough
- Meaning
- Though I hear them wishing "a hundred years," for the one I hold dear, even that still seems too little.
- Commentary
-
Book Twenty Congratulatory Poems 1372
Headnote: "At a place where something like a longevity celebration was held."
The poet says that though hearing people wish a hundred years, for one held dear it is still not enough. At a celebration, even hearing a hundred years of life wished, the poet cannot help hoping for still more for a beloved person, showing the depth of the blessing.
According to the headnote, it was composed at a place where something like a longevity celebration was held.
The poet is anonymous and the name is not known.
The first line, "Momotose to," means "a hundred years." Poem 1376 of this book also speaks of "a hundred years" and adds eighty more.
The second line, "iwau o ware wa," means "the blessing, I."
The third line, "kikinagara," means "though I hear," with "nagara" concessive.
The fourth line, "omou ga tame wa," means "for the one I love."
The last line, "akazu zo arikeru," means "it is never enough," with "zo" closed by the attributive "keru."
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Koto no ne mo take mo chitose no koe suru wa hito no omoi ni kayou narikeri
- Next Poem
-
Ōhara ya Oshio no yama no komatsubara haya kodakakare chiyo no kage mimu