Harimaji ya kokoro no Suma ni seki suete ika de waga mi no koi o todomen

播磨路や心の須磨に関すゑて
いかで我が身の恋をとどめん

Roma-ji: Harimaji ya kokoro no Suma ni seki suete ika de waga mi no koi o todomen
English Translation: On the Harima road,
at the Suma of my heart
I would set a barrier:
somehow, the love of this self,
how might I hold it back?
Meaning: As on the road to Harima there stands the barrier of Suma, I would set a barrier at the Suma of my heart and somehow hold back my love.
Commentary: Love Poems 697

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Love"
On the road to Harima there was in old times a barrier at Suma. Like the barrier of Suma, the poet would set up a barrier in his own heart and somehow hold back the love that overflows. The device is to move the poetic barrier of Suma into the heart and try to stop an irrepressible love at its gate.
With Fuji in 691, Ai no Nakayama in 695 and Asama in 696, love poems drawing on poetic places of various provinces stand together around this one.

First line, “Harimaji ya”: Harimaji is the road from the capital to Harima, and ya is exclamatory.
Second line, “kokoro no Suma ni”: Suma is a poetic place in Settsu known for its barrier: at a Suma within the heart.
Third line, “seki suete”: setting up a barrier.
Fourth line, “ika de waga mi no”: ika de is somehow, answering the n of intention at the end.
Fifth line, “koi o todomen”: I will hold back my love; todomu, to stop, is associated with the barrier.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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