Sa mo koso wa hitome omowazu narihatete ana samaniku no sode no shizuku ya

さもこそは人目思はずなり果てて
あなさまにくの袖の雫や

Roma-ji: Sa mo koso wa hitome omowazu narihatete ana samaniku no sode no shizuku ya
English Translation: Though it must be so,
I've stopped caring altogether
about others' eyes—
ah, how unsightly they are,
these drops upon my sleeves!
Meaning: Even so, I have stopped caring altogether what others see—ah, how unsightly are these drops of tears on my sleeves!
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 1343

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "One hundred and ten love poems"
However lost in love he may be, he has stopped caring altogether about others' eyes; ah, how unsightly the drops on his sleeves! the poet says.
Past the stage of hidden love, weeping without regard for others, he looks at himself objectively and is ashamed. With ana samaniku he judges his own appearance sternly.

First line, “sa mo koso wa”: so it may be, but even so.
Second line, “hitome omowazu”: heedless of others' eyes.
Third line, “narihatete”: having become wholly so.
Fourth line, “ana samaniku no”: ana is an interjection; samanikushi is unsightly.
Fifth line, “sode no shizuku ya”: ya is exclamatory, "these drops on my sleeves!"
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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