五月雨に水の水嵩まさるらし
澪のしるしも見えずなりゆく
澪のしるしも見えずなりゆく
- Roma-ji
-
Samidare ni mizu no mizukasa masaru rashi mio no shirushi mo miezu nari yuku
- English Translation
-
In the summer rains
the waters must be rising
higher than before:
even the channel markers
are sinking out of sight
- Meaning
- The waters must be rising with the early summer rains, for even the markers of the channel are sinking out of sight.
- Commentary
-
Book Three Summer Poems 182
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed when presenting a hundred-poem sequence to Retired Emperor Sutoku"
Like the preceding poem, this belongs to the hundred-poem sequence presented to Retired Emperor Sutoku. The waters must be rising with the summer rains, the poet reasons, for even the markers showing the boats' channel are sinking and vanishing. Through the concrete sight of the marker stakes disappearing, he gauges the steadily rising volume of water.
The author, "Former Consultant Chikataka," is Fujiwara no Chikataka, son of Provisional Middle Counselor Fujiwara no Tamefusa, who rose to Consultant. He was one of the poets of Retired Emperor Sutoku's Kyūan Hundred-Poem Sequence.
First line, "samidare ni": "because of the summer rains."
Second line, "mizu no mizukasa": the volume of water in a river or marsh, repeating "mizu," water, for rhythm. "Mizu no mikomo" in 184 of this book likewise repeats "mizu no."
Third line, "masaru rashi": "rashi" expresses an inference with grounds; from the scene that follows, the poet infers that the water is rising. The poem pauses here.
Fourth line, "mio no shirushi mo": "mio" is a boat channel and "shirushi" the stakes marking it, channel markers.
Fifth line, "miezu nari yuku": "becoming invisible." Like "kakure yuku kana" in 180 of this book, it depicts things hidden by the rising water.
- Author
- Fujiwara no Chikataka
- Source
- Senzai Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Samidare no hikazu henureba karitsumishi shizuya no kosuge kuchi ya shinuran
- Next Poem
-
Samidare wa taku mo no keburi uchishimeri shiotare masaru Suma no urabito