忍ぶれば苦しかりけり篠すすき
秋の盛りになりやしなまし
秋の盛りになりやしなまし
- Roma-ji
-
Shinobureba kurushikarikeri shinosusuki aki no sakari ni nari ya shinamashi
- English Translation
-
To hide my love
has been a painful thing indeed;
like the slender grass,
shall I let it come to bloom
in the high season of autumn?
- Meaning
- To hide my love has been painful; like the slender pampas grass, shall I let it come forth in plume at the height of autumn?
- Commentary
-
Book Twelve Love Poems II 770
Headnote: "Topic unknown"
The poem says that hiding love has been painful, and wonders whether to let it show, as the slender pampas grass puts forth its plumes at the height of autumn. Placing "shinosusuki," slender pampas, with the same sound as "shinobu," to hide, in the first line, it lays over the autumn pampas standing out in plume a love that can no longer be hidden. It shares the heart of 739, which said hiding is painful and wished to be revealed.
The author, written as "Shōkan Hōshi," is said to have been a monk of the mid-Heian period, but little is known of him.
First line, "shinobureba," means "when I hide my love," with "ba" after the perfective form meaning "when."
Second line, "kurushikarikeri," means "it has been painful," with "keri" expressing realization. The poem breaks after this second line. It shares the pain of secret love with the second line of 739 in this book, "omoeba kurushi."
Third line, "shinosusuki," means slender pampas grass, or bamboo grass and pampas, echoing the sound of "shinobu" in the first line.
Fourth line, "aki no sakari ni," means "at the height of autumn," the season when pampas puts forth plumes, suggesting love coming into view.
Final line, "nari ya shinamashi," means "shall I let it become so," with "ya" interrogative, "na" perfective, and "mashi" a hesitant intention.
- Author
- Shōkan
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
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