ちはやぶる賀茂の河辺の藤波は
かけて忘るる時のなきかな
かけて忘るる時のなきかな
- Roma-ji
-
Chihayaburu Kamo no kawabe no fujinami wa kakete wasururu toki no naki kana
- English Translation
-
By the Kamo stream,
where the mighty gods dwell,
the wisteria waves
hang there, as you in my heart,
never once to be forgotten.
- Meaning
- Like the wisteria hanging along the banks of the Kamo River, you hang in my heart, and there is never a moment I forget you.
- Commentary
-
Book Nineteen Miscellaneous Love Poems 1235
Headnote: "Sent to the wife of the Minister of the Left on the morning after serving as envoy to the Kamo Special Festival, attached to the wisteria worn as a hair ornament"
The poet says that, as the wisteria hangs along the banks of the Kamo, so the beloved hangs in the heart and is never for a moment forgotten. The headnote shows it was sent to the wife of the Minister of the Left on the morning after serving as imperial envoy to the Kamo Special Festival, attached to the wisteria worn as a hair ornament. Speaking through the wisteria worn at the festival and pivoting on "kakete," hanging and "in the least," it conveys a love that never forgets the other even for a moment.
There is no settled view as to whom the author's name, "Hyōe," refers. Hyōe is a title tied to the Military Guards who protected the palace, and it was also used as a name for court ladies.
First line, "chihayaburu," is a pillow word for the gods, here leading to "Kamo," the Kamo shrine, in the second line.
Second line, "Kamo no kawabe no," means "along the banks of the Kamo River," around the Kamo shrine.
Third line, "fujinami wa," means "the hanging clusters of wisteria," the wisteria worn as a hair ornament in the headnote.
Fourth line, "kakete wasururu," is a pivot word: "kakete" means the wisteria "hanging" on the tree and, with a negative after it, "in the least."
Final line, "toki no naki kana," means "there is no time," answering "kakete" in the fourth line to mean never forgetting even for a moment, with "kana" exclamatory.
- Author
- Hyōe
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
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