頼むべきこともなき身を今日までも
何にかかれる玉の緒ならん
何にかかれる玉の緒ならん
- Roma-ji
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Tanomu beki koto mo naki mi o kyō made mo nani ni kakareru tama no o naran
- English Translation
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A self with nothing
it could ever rely on,
till today as well,
upon what is it hanging,
this frail thread of life of mine?
- Meaning
- A self with nothing to rely on, what, I wonder, is this thread of life hanging on to, that it has lasted until today?
- Commentary
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Miscellaneous Poems 923
Headnote: "Reply"
This is Kojijū's reply. A self with nothing to rely on, what is this thread of life hanging on to, that it has lasted until today? she writes. Taking up 'had it ended' from the preceding poem, she marvels that her thread of life has not broken, expressing the frailty of one long ill.
First line, “tanomu beki”: to rely on.
Second line, “koto mo naki mi o”: a self with nothing.
Third line, “kyō made mo”: until today.
Fourth line, “nani ni kakareru”: kakaru is to hang on, to be held.
Fifth line, “tama no o naran”: tama no o is the thread of life, related to 'taenamashikaba'; ran is conjecture about the present.
- Author
- Kojiju
- Source
- Sankashu
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Koto no ne ni namida o soete nagasu kana taenamashikaba to omou aware ni
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Sadamenashi kaze wazurawanu ori dani mo mata kon koto o tanomu beki yo ka