Nageki amari fude no susami ni tsukusedomo omou bakari wa kakarezarikeri

嘆きあまり筆のすさみに尽くせども
思ふばかりは書かれざりけり

Roma-ji: Nageki amari fude no susami ni tsukusedomo omou bakari wa kakarezarikeri
English Translation: In excess of grief,
though I've poured out every word
as my brush would play,
I could never put in writing
all the love I feel inside.
Meaning: Overwhelmed by grief, I tried to pour it all out with my brush, yet I could never write as much as I feel.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 1252

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "One hundred and ten love poems"
Overcome with grief, he tried to write it all out with his brush, yet could never write as much as he felt, the poet says.
Through the act of writing love letters, the poem shows that the depth of love cannot be expressed in words; the frustration of writing and writing yet never reaching the feeling comes through.

First line, “nageki amari”: grief overflowing; the line has an extra syllable.
Second line, “fude no susami ni”: as the brush would idly go.
Third line, “tsukusedomo”: though I wrote it all out.
Fourth line, “omou bakari wa”: as much as I feel.
Fifth line, “kakarezarikeri”: re is potential, "I could not write it," with keri of realization.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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