君がため松の千歳も尽きぬべし
これよりまさむ神の世もがな
これよりまさむ神の世もがな
- Roma-ji
-
Kimi ga tame matsu no chitose mo tsukinu beshi kore yori masamu kami no yo mo gana
- English Translation
-
For your sake, I think,
the pine's thousand years as well
will run out at last—
would there were an age of gods
to outlast even these
- Meaning
- For you, even the pine's thousand years will surely run out—if only there were an age of the gods to outlast even these.
- Commentary
-
Book Twenty Congratulatory Poems 1375
Headnote: "Sent to a woman."
The poet says that for the beloved even the pine's thousand years will run out, and wishes for an age of gods to surpass them. Holding that even the thousand years of the pine, symbol of long life, are not enough, the poet wishes the woman a life as long as the age of the gods.
According to the headnote, it was sent to a woman.
The poet is anonymous and the name is not known.
The first line, "Kimi ga tame," means "for your sake." Poems 1378 and 1382 of this book also begin with "Kimi ga tame."
The second line, "matsu no chitose mo," means "even the pine's thousand years," the pine being held to live a thousand years.
The third line, "tsukinu beshi," means "will surely run out," with "nu beshi" strong conjecture. The poem pauses here.
The fourth line, "kore yori masamu," means "surpassing this."
The last line, "kami no yo mo gana," means "would there were an age of gods," with "mogana" expressing a wish.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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Uchiyosuru nami no hana koso sakinikere chiyo matsukaze ya haru ni naruran
- Next Poem
-
Momotose ni yasotose soete inorikuru tama no shirushi o kimi mizarame ya