Sari to yo to honoka ni hito o mitsuredomo oboenu yume no kokochi koso sure

さりとよとほのかに人を見つれども
覚えぬ夢の心地こそすれ

Roma-ji: Sari to yo to honoka ni hito o mitsuredomo oboenu yume no kokochi koso sure
English Translation: Yes, that must be her—
so I glimpsed her faintly, just
a passing sight,
yet it feels like nothing more
than a dream I can't believe.
Meaning: I caught a faint glimpse of her and thought, yes, that is she—yet it feels like a dream I can scarcely believe is real.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 1256

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "One hundred and ten love poems"
Thinking "yes, that is she," the poet glimpsed his beloved faintly, yet it feels like a dream beyond belief.
It sings of the incredulous emotion of at last catching sight of one long loved. Because the glimpse was faint, the feeling of not knowing whether it was dream or reality grows all the stronger.

First line, “sari to yo to”: yes, that is she.
Second line, “honoka ni hito o”: faintly, her.
Third line, “mitsuredomo”: though I saw.
Fourth line, “oboenu yume no”: of an unbelievable dream.
Fifth line, “kokochi koso sure”: koso is emphatic, answered by the realis sure.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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