水錆ゐて月も宿らぬ濁り江に
我すまんとて蛙鳴くなり
我すまんとて蛙鳴くなり
- Roma-ji
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Misabi ite tsuki mo yadoranu nigorie ni ware suman tote kawazu naku nari
- English Translation
-
Where the scum lies thick,
and the moon finds no lodging,
in this murky inlet,
I will dwell and make it clear,
so the frogs, it seems, cry out.
- Meaning
- In the murky inlet, so thick with scum that not even the moon is reflected, the frogs seem to cry, I will live here and make it clear.
- Commentary
-
Spring Poems 168
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Frogs"
This is the second poem on frogs. In an inlet so murky with scum that not even the moon is reflected, the frogs are singing, and the poet hears their voices as saying, I will live here, I will make this water clear.
Sumu is a pivot word for to live and to become clear, and there is wit in hearing in the voices of frogs dwelling in a murky inlet the resolve to clear its waters. In contrast with the frogs of the clean mountain paddy in the preceding poem, this one portrays frogs in a murky inlet, and the two poems form a pair.
First line, “misabi ite”: with scum floating on the surface.
Second line, “tsuki mo yadoranu”: where not even the moon is reflected, showing how murky the water is.
Third line, “nigorie ni”: in the murky inlet.
Fourth line, “ware suman tote”: sumu is a pivot word meaning both to dwell and to become clear, presented as the frogs' words.
Fifth line, “kawazu naku nari”: nari infers from sound, the frogs seem to be crying, closing the poem.
- Author
- Saigyō
- Source
- Sankashu
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Masuge ouru yamada ni mizu o makasureba ureshigao ni mo naku kawazu kana
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Ureshi tomo omoi zo wakanu hototogisu haru kiku koto no narai nakereba