あしひきの山ゐに摺れる衣をば
神に仕ふるしるしとぞ思ふ
神に仕ふるしるしとぞ思ふ
- Roma-ji
-
Ashihiki no yamai ni sureru koromo oba kami ni tsukauru shirushi to zo omou
- English Translation
-
In the mountain wilds,
these robes printed with indigo
that they wear today
are the mark of those who serve
the gods, so it seems to me.
- Meaning
- I take these robes printed with wild mountain indigo as the very mark of those who serve the gods.
- Commentary
-
Book Seventeen Miscellaneous Autumn Poems 1149
Headnote: "For a screen at the house of the Minister of the Right Tsunesuke, at a place painted with a special festival"
The poet says that he takes the robes printed with wild mountain indigo as the mark of those who serve the gods. The headnote shows it was written for a screen at the house of the Minister of the Right, Fujiwara no Tsunesuke, at a place painted with a special festival. In the indigo-printed robes worn by those who serve at the festival, he sees the purity and dignity of the sacred rites.
The author, written as "Tsurayuki," is Ki no Tsurayuki, the leading compiler of the Kokinshū, who wrote its kana preface and the Tosa Diary. He is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.
First line, "ashihiki no," is a pillow word leading to "yama," mountain. It is the same word as the third line of 1147 in this book, "ashihiki no."
Second line, "yamai ni sureru," means "printed with wild mountain indigo," with "ru" the attributive form of the continuative "ri." It shares the same word with the fourth line of 1147 in this book, "yamai no mizu wa."
Third line, "koromo oba," means "the robes," with "oba" a strengthened form of "o."
Fourth line, "kami ni tsukauru," means "who serve the gods."
Final line, "shirushi to zo omou," means "I take them as the mark," with the binding particle "zo" resolved by the attributive form "omou."
- Author
- Ki no Tsurayuki
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Ariake no kokochi koso sure sakazuki ni hikage mo soite idenu to omoeba
- Next Poem
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Chihayaburu kami no igaki ni yuki furite sora yori kakaru yū ni zo arikeru