Hito shirenu kokoro no uchi o misetaraba ima made tsuraki hito wa araji na - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

人知れぬ心の内を見せたらば
今までつらき人はあらじな

Roma-ji: Hito shirenu kokoro no uchi o misetaraba ima made tsuraki hito wa araji na
English Translation: If I could but show
all that lies within my heart,
hidden from the world,
you would not go on as cold
as you have been until now.
Meaning: If only I could show you the heart I keep hidden from all, you would not go on being as cruel as you have been.
Commentary: Book Eleven Love Poems I 672

Headnote: "Topic unknown"
The poem says that if the poet could show the heart he keeps hidden from all, the beloved would not go on being as cold as before. It expresses the frustration of being unable to show one's inner heart, and the belief that if only it were seen, the beloved would change. It echoes "omou kokoro o shiru hito no nasa" in 623, and with the next poems, 673 and 674, three poems beginning "hito shirenu" stand side by side.

First line, "hito shirenu," means "unknown to others," the same line as the first lines of the next poems, 673 and 674.
Second line, "kokoro no uchi o," means "what lies within my heart."
Third line, "misetaraba," means "if I could show it," with "tara" the irrealis form of the perfective "tari" and "ba" expressing supposition.
Fourth line, "ima made tsuraki," means "as cold as until now."
Final line, "hito wa araji na," means "you would not be," with "ji" an auxiliary of negative conjecture and "na" an exclamatory final particle.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Shui Wakashu
Prev Poem: Kakiyaraba nigori koso seme asaki se no mikuzu wa tare ka sumasete mo mimu
Next Poem: Hito shirenu omoi wa toshi mo henikeredo ware nomi shiru wa kai nakarikeri