結びおきし種ならねども見るからに
いとどしのぶの草を摘むかな
いとどしのぶの草を摘むかな
- Roma-ji
-
Musubiokishi tane naranedomo miru kara ni itodo shinobu no kusa o tsumu kana
- English Translation
-
Though it is no seed
that she bore and left behind,
merely seeing this,
all the more I find I pick
the grass of fond remembrance
- Meaning
- Though this is no seed that she bore and left behind, the moment I look at it I gather all the more the grass of remembrance.
- Commentary
-
Book Twenty Congratulatory Poems 1393
Headnote: "Reply."
The poet says that though this is no seed left behind, merely seeing it she gathers all the more the grass of remembrance. Taking up the "seed" of the preceding poem, she answers that even if no child was left, just looking at the letter makes her longing for the dead grow stronger.
It is the reply to the preceding poem by the Minister of the Right Fujiwara no Morosuke.
The poet is given as "Naishi no Kami," the Principal Handmaid, head of the Handmaids' Office. There is no settled view on who is meant.
The first line, "Musubiokishi," means "borne and left behind," answering "seed" in the preceding poem.
The second line, "tane naranedomo," means "though it is not a seed," taking up "tane mo naki" in the preceding poem's first line.
The third line, "miru kara ni," means "as soon as I see it," looking at the letter.
The fourth line, "itodo shinobu no," is a pivot word on "shinobu," both the shinobu fern and remembering the dead.
The last line, "kusa o tsumu kana," means "I gather the grass," with "kana" exclamatory. "Bear," "seed," "grass," and "gather" are associated words.
- Author
- Principal Handmaid
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Tane mo naki hana dani chiranu yado mo aru o nado ka katami no ko dani nakaran
- Next Poem
-
Kokora yo o kiku ga uchi ni mo kanashiki wa hito no namida mo tsuki ya shinuran