Kagiri naku omoisometeshi kurenai no hito o aku ni zo kaerazarikeru - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

限りなく思ひそめてし紅の
人をあくにぞかへらざりける

Roma-ji: Kagiri naku omoisometeshi kurenai no hito o aku ni zo kaerazarikeru
English Translation: The boundless love I
began, dyed deep in crimson,
for you, even in lye
never did it change its hue
into weariness of you.
Meaning: The love I began for you, dyed deep as crimson without limit, never faded, as crimson does not in lye, into weariness of you.
Commentary: Book Fifteen Love Poems V 978

Headnote: "Topic unknown"
The poem says that the crimson love I began so boundlessly did not change into weariness of that person, just as crimson dye does not fade in lye. It likens to crimson dye that does not fade even in lye a love that will not change whatever happens.
It is the last of the three poems on "aku" continuing from 976 and 977; here "aku," to tire, is denied, singing instead of an unchanging heart.

First line, "kagiri naku," means "without limit." It is the same as the first line of 942 in this book and also answers the first line of 971, "kagiri naki."
Second line, "omoisometeshi," means "that I began to love," with "some" a pivot word joining "some," to begin, and "some," to dye in crimson. It shares the same pivot word with the fourth line of 975 in this book, "omoisomezu zo."
Third line, "kurenai no," means "of crimson," an associated word with "some," dyeing, in the second line. It shares the word with the first line of 975 in this book, "kurenai no."
Fourth line, "hito o aku ni zo," means "into weariness of that person," with "aku" a pivot word joining "aku," to tire of, and "aku," lye used in crimson dyeing. It shares the conceit with "aku" in 976 and "Akutagawa" in 977. The binding particle "zo" forms a kakari-musubi with the final line.
Final line, "kaerazarikeru," means "it did not change," with "kaeru" meaning a color fading and changing. It concludes with "keru," the attributive of the exclamatory "keri," in answer to "zo" in the fourth line.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Shui Wakashu
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