いにしへはおごれりしかどわびぬれば
とねりがきぬも今は着つべし
とねりがきぬも今は着つべし
- Roma-ji
-
Inishie wa ogorerishikado wabinureba toneri ga kinu mo ima wa kitsu beshi
- English Translation
-
In days gone by
I was proud and full of pride,
but now brought so low,
even the robe a servant wears
I would surely put on now.
- Meaning
- In the old days I was proud and haughty, but now that I have fallen low, I would surely wear even the coarse robe of a servant.
- Commentary
-
Book Seven Names of Things 394
Headnote: "Nerigaki (soft persimmon)"
The poet says that he was once proud and haughty, but now that he has fallen low he would surely wear even a servant's coarse robe. Within this self-mocking account of a fall from glory, the name "nerigaki" given in the headnote is hidden in the run of sounds "toneri ga kinu" in the fourth line. The headnote names the thing hidden in the poem.
The author, written as Sukemi, is Fujiwara no Sukemi. A son of Fujiwara no Hirotsune, he was a mid-Heian poet known as Tōroku. He excelled at poems hiding the names of things, and his personal collection is the Tōrokushū.
First line, "inishie wa," means "in days gone by."
Second line, "ogorerishikado," means "though I was proud," with "ri" continuing state, "shika" the perfective form of the past auxiliary "ki," and "do" a concessive particle.
Third line, "wabinureba," means "since I have fallen low," the perfective form with "ba" expressing a reason.
Fourth line, "toneri ga kinu mo," means "even a servant's robe," hiding the name "nerigaki." After the nuts and fruits of the preceding poems, from here poems hiding the names of foods continue.
Final line, "ima wa kitsu beshi," means "I would now surely wear," with "tsu" perfective and "beshi" conjectural. "Inishie" (long ago) in the first line and "ima" (now) form a pair.
- Author
- Fujiwara no Sukemi
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Omokage ni shibashiba miyuru kimi naredo koishiki koto zo toki zo to mo naki
- Next Poem
-
Ike o harikometaru mizu no ōkareba ii no kuchi yori amaru naru beshi