君がため五葉の子の日しつるかな
たびたび千代を経べきしるしに
たびたび千代を経べきしるしに
- Roma-ji
-
Kimi ga tame goyō no nenohi shitsuru kana tabitabi chiyo o fu beki shirushi ni
- English Translation
-
For your sake I have
held the Day of the Rat with
pines of five needles—
as a token you shall live
a thousand years many times.
- Meaning
- For your sake I have celebrated the Day of the Rat with young five-needled pines, as a token that you shall live a thousand years over and over again.
- Commentary
-
Miscellaneous Poems 1184
Headnote: "Beneath a five-needled pine there were little two-leaved seedlings, and on a day that fell on the Day of the Rat I dug them up and planted them in a cypress box to send to the capital"
Beneath a five-needled pine grew several two-leaved seedlings; on the Day of the Rat Saigyō pulled them up, planted them in a box, and sent them to the capital with this poem. For your sake I have held the Day of the Rat with five-needled pines, as a sign that you will live a thousand years many times over.
The five-needled pine was prized for its needles growing in bundles of five. Joining the custom of pulling young pines on the Day of the Rat with the "five" of goyō and "many times," the poem seems a witty wish for a life of a thousand years five times over. It was sent together with 1185.
First line, “kimi ga tame”: for your sake.
Second line, “goyō no nenohi”: the pine-pulling of the Day of the Rat done with five-needled pines; the text has koeu, taken as goyō.
Third line, “shitsuru kana”: kana is exclamatory, "I have done it"; the poem breaks here.
Fourth line, “tabitabi chiyo o”: a thousand years many times, echoing the five of the five-needled pine.
Fifth line, “fu beki shirushi ni”: as a sign you will pass them, the inversion giving the meaning of the gift.
- Author
- Saigyō
- Source
- Sankashu
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Nenohi suru nobe no ware koso nushi naru o goyō nashi tote hiku hito no naki