亀山にいく薬のみありければ
とどむる方もなき別れかな
とどむる方もなき別れかな
- Roma-ji
-
Kameyama ni iku kusuri nomi arikereba todomuru kata mo naki wakare kana
- English Translation
-
On Turtle Mountain
there are only elixirs
of life—of leaving,
so there is no way at all
to hold back this parting.
- Meaning
- Since on Turtle Mountain there are only medicines for living, which is to say for leaving, there is no way to hold back this parting.
- Commentary
-
Book Six Parting Poems 331
Headnote: "When Koretomo, Governor of Mutsu, was going down, and the Prince of the Board of Censors sent him fragrant medicines"
The poet says that on Turtle Mountain, where the elixir of immortality is said to be found, there are only medicines for "living," which is to say for "leaving," so there is no way to hold back the traveler. Through the gift of medicines, playing on "iku" as living and as going, he wraps his regret at parting in wit. According to the headnote, it was attached to fragrant medicines sent by the prince who headed the Board of Censors to Koretomo, Governor of Mutsu, as he was going down to his province, and the poet seems to have composed it on the prince's behalf.
The author, called the monk Kaishū, was a monk said to be a son of Kiyohara no Motosuke and thus a brother of Sei Shōnagon.
First line, "kameyama ni," refers to Mount Hōrai, the mountain of immortals said to ride on a turtle's back, where the elixir of immortality was thought to be.
Second line, "iku kusuri nomi," plays on "iku" as prolonging life and as going on a journey.
Third line, "arikereba," means "since there were," the perfective form with "ba" expressing a reason.
Fourth line, "todomuru kata mo," means "nor any means to hold back." It shares with "e ya wa todomuru" in 322 of this book the lament of being unable to stop a parting.
Final line, "naki wakare kana," means "how it is a parting without," with "kana" exclamatory.
- Author
- Kaishū
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
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