Nochi no yo o toe to chigirishi koto no ha ya wasuraru majiki katami naru beki

後の世を訪へと契りし言の葉や
忘らるまじき形見なるべき

Roma-ji: Nochi no yo o toe to chigirishi koto no ha ya wasuraru majiki katami naru beki
English Translation: 'Pray for me in the
life to come,' the words with which
she bound me to her,
these must be the keepsake that
I can never put from mind.
Meaning: The words she spoke, binding me to pray for her in the life to come, will surely be the keepsake I can never forget.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 822

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "After the death of the Second Rank Lady of the Retired Emperor, when people composed ten poems"
This is the sixth of the ten. The words she spoke while alive, binding him to pray for her in the life to come, will surely be the keepsake he can never forget, the poet says, resolving to keep praying for her salvation with that promise as her keepsake.

First line, “nochi no yo o”: the life to come.
Second line, “toe to chigirishi”: tou is to pray for the dead; the promise to do so.
Third line, “koto no ha ya”: the question particle ya is answered by beki in the fifth line.
Fourth line, “wasuraru majiki”: maji is negative conjecture, that cannot be forgotten.
Fifth line, “katami naru beki”: will surely be the keepsake.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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