強く引く綱手と見せよ最上川
その稲舟のいかり納めて
その稲舟のいかり納めて
- Roma-ji
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Tsuyoku hiku tsunade to miseyo mogamigawa sono inafune no ikari osamete
- English Translation
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Show it as a rope
that hauls with all its strength,
on the Mogami—
and on that boat laden with rice,
take your anchor up at last.
- Meaning
- Please take my plea as a rope that hauls with all its strength on the Mogami River, and raise the anchor of that rice boat, setting your anger to rest.
- Commentary
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Miscellaneous Poems 1164
Headnote: "Reply I presented to him." A note adds: "When I said this, he pardoned him"
This is the reply Saigyō presented to Retired Emperor Sutoku's poem. Take my plea as a towrope pulling hard, he asks, and raise the anchor of that rice boat, setting your anger to rest. The note says that upon this, the emperor granted the pardon.
Using the emperor's own Mogami River, rice boat, and ikari, he answers "lower the anchor" with "stow it," wittily asking that anger be put away. The poem shows the power of Saigyō's verse to soften the emperor's displeasure and his close relationship with Sutoku.
First line, “tsuyoku hiku”: hauling with strength, answering "hikuran" in the preceding poem.
Second line, “tsunade to miseyo”: tsunade is a towrope; "see my plea as that rope."
Third line, “mogamigawa”: the first line of the emperor's poem taken whole.
Fourth line, “sono inafune no”: that rice boat of your poem.
Fifth line, “ikari osamete”: ikari pivots on "anchor" and "anger," stowing the anchor and setting anger to rest.
- Author
- Saigyō
- Source
- Sankashu
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Mogamigawa nabete hikuran inafune no shibashi ga hodo wa ikari orosan
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Isona tsumu ama no saotome kokoro seyo oki fuku kaze ni nami takaku naru