春は惜し郭公はた聞かまほし
思ひわづらふしづ心かな
思ひわづらふしづ心かな
- Roma-ji
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Haru wa oshi hototogisu hata kikamahoshi omoiwazurau shizugokoro kana
- English Translation
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Spring I grieve to lose,
yet the cuckoo, too, I long
to hear singing now;
so troubled, back and forth,
is this heart that should be calm!
- Meaning
- I grieve to lose the spring, yet I long to hear the cuckoo too; how troubled, torn between them, is this heart that ought to be at peace!
- Commentary
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Book Sixteen Miscellaneous Spring Poems 1066
Headnote: "Composed on the first day of the fourth month"
The poet says that he grieves at spring's passing, yet also longs to hear the cuckoo, and is torn between the two. The headnote shows it was composed on the first day of the fourth month, the first day of summer. It frankly expresses a heart wavering between regret for departing spring and longing for the cuckoo that heralds summer. From here the book moves on to the things of summer.
The author, written as "Motosuke," is Kiyohara no Motosuke. A grandson of Kiyohara no Fukayabu and the father of Sei Shōnagon, he took part in compiling the Gosenshū as one of the Five Men of the Pear Chamber. He is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.
First line, "haru wa oshi," means "spring is precious to lose," and the poem breaks after this first line. It takes up the passing spring of the two preceding poems, 1064 and 1065.
Second line, "hototogisu hata," means "and yet the cuckoo," with "hata" meaning "on the other hand, also."
Third line, "kikamahoshi," means "I long to hear," with "mahoshi" an auxiliary of desire. The poem breaks again here.
Fourth line, "omoiwazurau," means "torn with worry."
Final line, "shizugokoro kana," means "this heart that should be calm," saying with a sigh that a heart meant to be at peace is troubled.
- Author
- Kiyohara no Motosuke
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
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Yukikaeru haru o mo shirazu hana sakanu miyamagakure no uguisu no koe
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Matsukaze no fukamu kagiri wa uchihaete tayubeku mo arazu sakeru fujinami