照射する火串の松も消えなくに
外山の雲の明けわたるらん
外山の雲の明けわたるらん
- Roma-ji
-
Tomoshi suru hogushi no matsu mo kienaku ni toyama no kumo no akewataruran
- English Translation
-
Though the pine torches
set upon the hunters' poles
have not yet burned out,
why are the clouds above
the near hills turning to dawn?
- Meaning
- Though the pine torches set on the hunters' poles have not yet burned out, why are the clouds over the near hills already brightening into dawn?
- Commentary
-
Book Three Summer Poems 197
Headnote: "Composed as a poem on torch-hunting"
Composed on the topic of "torch-hunting." Before the pine torches set on the hunters' poles have burned out, the clouds over the near hills are already growing pale with dawn. The brevity of a summer night, which ends before even one torch is spent, is measured by the hunting fire itself.
The author, "Minister of the Treasury Yukimune," is Minamoto no Yukimune, son of Consultant Minamoto no Motohira, who rose to Minister of the Treasury.
First line, "tomoshi suru": "where they hunt by torchlight," the same opening as 194 of this book.
Second line, "hogushi no matsu mo": "hogushi" is the wooden pole that holds the torch for the hunt, and "matsu" the pine torch. The next poem, 198, places the same words in its second line.
Third line, "kienaku ni": "naku ni" means "though it has not."
Fourth line, "toyama no kumo no": "toyama" are hills near human dwellings.
Fifth line, "akewataruran": "wataru" means to spread over everything, and "ran" is present conjecture guessing at a reason: "why does it all turn to dawn?" lamenting the short summer night. Where 148 of this book found the summer night long for one waiting for the cuckoo, this poem finds it short, ending before the hunting fire has burned out.
- Author
- Minamoto no Yukimune
- Source
- Senzai Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Satsukiyami shigeki hayama ni tatsu shika wa tomoshi ni nomi zo hito ni shiraruru
- Next Poem
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Tomoshi suru hogushi no matsu mo moetsukite kaeru ni mayou shimotsuyami kana