百年に八十年添へて祈りくる
玉のしるしを君見ざらめや
玉のしるしを君見ざらめや
- Roma-ji
-
Momotose ni yasotose soete inorikuru tama no shirushi o kimi mizarame ya
- English Translation
-
To a hundred years
adding eighty more besides,
I have prayed for you—
could you fail to see the proof
of these jewel beads at work
- Meaning
- I have prayed for you a hundred years and eighty more besides—how could you fail to see the blessing these beads will bring?
- Commentary
-
Book Twenty Congratulatory Poems 1376
Headnote: "When he borrowed rosary beads from a woman patron to perform the rite of the year star, he sent this with them when returning them."
The poet asks whether the patron could fail to see the power of the beads with which he has prayed for a hundred years and eighty more. Returning a borrowed rosary, he says that since he prayed with it for her life to last a hundred and eighty years, its effect will surely appear.
According to the headnote, he borrowed a rosary from a woman patron to perform the rite of the year star, and sent this with it when he returned it.
The poet is given as "Priest Yuisei," a monk of whom little is known.
The first line, "Momotose ni," means "to a hundred years." Poem 1372 of this book also sings of a life of "a hundred years."
The second line, "yasotose soete," means "adding eighty years," with an extra syllable.
The third line, "inorikuru," means "I have prayed."
The fourth line, "tama no shirushi o," means "the power of the beads," taking up the rosary of the headnote.
The last line, "kimi mizarame ya," means "could you fail to see," with "ya" rhetorical.
- Author
- Priest Yuisei
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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