逢ふ夜とは誰かは知らぬたなばたの
明くる空をも包まざらなむ
明くる空をも包まざらなむ
- Roma-ji
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Au yo to wa tare ka wa shiranu tanabata no akuru sora o mo tsutsumazaranamu
- English Translation
-
That this is their night,
who is there who does not know?
So, O Weaver Maid,
even the brightening sky
do not try to hide away
- Meaning
- Who does not know that tonight is the night the stars meet? So, Weaver Maid, do not try to hide even the sky as it brightens into dawn.
- Commentary
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Book Three Autumn Poems 91
Headnote: "Composed on the theme of the morning after Tanabata, at Tachibana no Toshitsuna's mountain villa in Fushimi"
The monk Ryōzen composed this at Tachibana no Toshitsuna's villa in Fushimi on the theme of the parting on the morning after Tanabata.
Since everyone knows of the meeting, he tells the Weaver Maid there is no need to conceal the dawn as secret lovers do. It is a witty poem that turns the custom of hidden love on its head to express regret at the morning parting.
The first line, "au yo to wa," means "that this is the night of meeting," pointing to Tanabata night.
The second line, "tare ka wa shiranu," is rhetorical: "who does not know?" meaning everyone knows. The poem pauses here.
The third line, "tanabata no," means "Weaver Maid's," naming the subject of what follows.
The fourth line, "akuru sora o mo," means "even the dawning sky," the hour of the morning parting.
The last line, "tsutsumazaranamu," expresses the wish "please do not hide it." Together with the next poem, 92, it continues the poems on the morning after Tanabata.
- Author
- Ryōzen
- Source
- Shika Wakashu
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