頼めおきしその言ひ事やあだなりし
波越えぬべき末の松山
波越えぬべき末の松山
- Roma-ji
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Tanome okishi sono iigoto ya ada narishi nami koenu beki sue no matsuyama
- English Translation
-
The words you gave me
on which I came to rely—
were they all in vain?
It seems the waves will surely cross
the pines of Sue no Matsuyama.
- Meaning
- Were the words you gave me to trust in only empty? It seems the waves are about to cross even Sue no Matsuyama.
- Commentary
-
Miscellaneous Poems 1289
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "One hundred and ten love poems"
Were the promises you made me trust in empty? the poet asks; it seems the waves will cross even Sue no Matsuyama.
It draws on the Kokinshū eastern song "Kimi o okite adashigokoro o waga motaba sue no matsuyama nami mo koenamu." Waves crossing Sue no Matsuyama, an impossible thing, figured a change of heart; saying the waves are about to cross it laments the beloved's inconstancy.
First line, “tanome okishi”: that you made me rely on; the line has an extra syllable.
Second line, “sono iigoto ya”: those words; ya questions, answered by the attributive shi.
Third line, “ada narishi”: were they empty?, echoing adashigokoro of the source poem; the poem breaks here.
Fourth line, “nami koenu beki”: nu beki is a strong conjecture, "the waves are sure to cross."
Fifth line, “sue no matsuyama”: a poetic place of Michinoku, ending on a noun drawn from the source poem.
- Author
- Saigyō
- Source
- Sankashu
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