秋の野に誰を誘はむ行き帰り
ひとりははぎを見るかひもなし
ひとりははぎを見るかひもなし
- Roma-ji
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Aki no no ni tare o sasowamu yukikaeri hitori wa hagi o miru kai mo nashi
- English Translation
-
On the autumn moor
whom shall I ask to come along?
Going and returning,
to view the bush clover alone
is not worth the trouble
- Meaning
- Whom shall I ask to come with me to the autumn moor? Going there and back to view the bush clover alone is not worth the trouble.
- Commentary
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Book Eighteen Miscellaneous Poems III 1176
Headnote: "Torihahaki, the feather broom"
This is a hidden-name poem, concealing the word "torihahaki" within "hitori wa hagi o" in the fourth line. A torihahaki is a broom made of bird feathers. Whom shall I ask to the autumn moor? To see the bush clover alone on the way there and back is not worth it, she says. She sings of the loneliness of being alone: even beautiful bush clover is not worth seeing with no one to share it.
The author, "Mother of Yorisuke, Minister of Justice," was the mother of Fujiwara no Yorisuke, minister of justice, and the wife of the Major Counselor Fujiwara no Tadanori.
It is the eighth poem of the hidden-name series.
First line, "aki no no ni": "on the autumn moor," where the bush clover blooms.
Second line, "tare o sasowamu": "mu" is the auxiliary of intention, "whom shall I invite?" The poem pauses here.
Third line, "yukikaeri": "going to the moor and coming back."
Fourth line, "hitori wa hagi o": "the bush clover, alone," and within "hitori wa hagi" lies hidden "torihahaki."
Fifth line, "miru kai mo nashi": "not worth the seeing," expressing the loneliness of having no one to view it with.
- Author
- Mother of Fujiwara no Yorisuke
- Source
- Senzai Wakashu
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Yo to tomo ni kokoro o kakete tanomedomo ware kara kami no kataki shirushi ka
- Next Poem
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Aki wa kiri kiri suginureba yuki furite haruru ma mo naki miyamabe no sato