Kokoro ni wa fukaku shimedomo ume no hana oranu nioi wa kai nakarikeri

心には深くしめども梅の花
折らぬ匂ひはかひなかりけり

Roma-ji: Kokoro ni wa fukaku shimedomo ume no hana oranu nioi wa kai nakarikeri
English Translation: Though deep in my heart
I've claimed it, its scent sunk in,
the plum's sweet blossom—
its fragrance, if I can't pluck it,
proves to be of no avail.
Meaning: Though I have claimed it deep in my heart, its scent sunk in, the fragrance of a plum blossom I cannot pluck proves to be worth nothing.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 1255

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "One hundred and ten love poems"
Though I hold it deep in my heart, steeped in its scent and claiming it as mine, the fragrance of a plum blossom I cannot break off is of no use, the poet says.
Likening the beloved to plum blossom, it sings of the emptiness of a love that, however deeply felt, cannot be possessed. Shime pivots on "dyed" with scent and "claimed" as one's own.

First line, “kokoro ni wa”: in my heart.
Second line, “fukaku shimedomo”: shime pivots on scent "sinking in" and "claiming" as one's own.
Third line, “ume no hana”: plum blossom, figuring the beloved.
Fourth line, “oranu nioi wa”: the fragrance of a flower not broken off, a love not fulfilled.
Fifth line, “kai nakarikeri”: keri marks realization, "it is of no use."
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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