あしひきの山郭公里なれて
たそかれ時に名のりすらしも
たそかれ時に名のりすらしも
- Roma-ji
-
Ashihiki no yamahototogisu sato narete tasogaredoki ni nanori su rashi mo
- English Translation
-
The cuckoo that dwells
in the leg-wearying hills
has grown used to the village,
and at dusk, when none can tell who,
it seems to call out its name.
- Meaning
- The mountain cuckoo, grown used to the village, seems to be calling out its name in the dusk, when one can no longer tell who is who.
- Commentary
-
Book Sixteen Miscellaneous Spring Poems 1076
Headnote: "Topic unknown"
The poet says that the mountain cuckoo, grown used to the village, seems to be calling out its name at twilight. He hears the evening cry of a cuckoo that has come down from the mountains to the village as the announcing of its name. There is wit in the pairing of calling out one's name at "tasogare," the dusk when one asks "who is that?"
The author, Ōnakatomi no Sukechika, was a son of Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu and served as chief priest of the Ise Shrine and as Head of the Department of Divinities. He is one of the Thirty-Six Later Immortal Poets.
First line, "ashihiki no," is a pillow word introducing "yama," mountain.
Second line, "yamahototogisu," means "the mountain cuckoo," continuing the cuckoo poems.
Third line, "sato narete," means "grown used to the village," speaking of its coming down from the mountains.
Fourth line, "tasogaredoki ni," means "at dusk," with "tasogare" meaning the dim hour when one asks "ta so kare," "who is that?"
Final line, "nanori su rashi mo," means "it seems to be calling out its name," with "rashi" an auxiliary of inference and "mo" exclamatory. It lays the verbal link of announcing one's name at the hour of "who is that?" in the fourth line.
- Author
- Onakatomi no Sukechika
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
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