よしさらば光なくとも玉と言ひて
言葉の塵は君磨かなん
言葉の塵は君磨かなん
- Roma-ji
-
Yoshi saraba hikari naku to mo tama to iite kotoba no chiri wa kimi migakanan
- English Translation
-
Well then, if you call
them jewels, though they have
no light of their own,
then the dust upon my words,
I pray you, polish it away.
- Meaning
- Well then, since you call them jewels though they have no light, I ask you to polish away the dust that clings to my words.
- Commentary
-
Miscellaneous Poems 1352
Headnote: "Reply"
This is Saigyō's reply to Lady Shōnagon's praise. Well then, since you call them jewels though they have no light, please polish away the dust on my words, he answers.
Taking up her likening of his poems to jewels, he replies humbly yet wittily, asking her to polish them and thereby acknowledging her own poetic gifts. Jewels, light, dust, and polishing form a chain of associated words.
First line, “yoshi saraba”: well then.
Second line, “hikari naku to mo”: to mo is a concessive supposition, "though they have no light."
Third line, “tama to iite”: calling them jewels, answering tama in her poem; the line has an extra syllable.
Fourth line, “kotoba no chiri wa”: the dust on my words, their faults.
Fifth line, “kimi migakanan”: nan expresses a wish, "please polish them."
- Author
- Saigyō
- Source
- Sankashu
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