別れ路の草葉を分けむ旅衣
たつよりかねて濡るる袖かな
たつよりかねて濡るる袖かな
- Roma-ji
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Wakareji no kusaba o wakemu tabigoromo tatsu yori kanete nururu sode kana
- English Translation
-
The traveling robe
that will brush through the grasses
along parting's road:
even before it is cut,
its sleeves are already wet.
- Meaning
- This traveling robe, which will brush through the dewy grasses along the road of parting, has sleeves already wet with tears from the moment it was cut, before the journey has even begun.
- Commentary
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Book Six Parting Poems 179
A poem lamenting a parting through the traveling robe of one who is setting out. Sleeves that should be wet with the dew of the grasses along the way are said to be wet with tears even before departure, and by overlaying dew and tears the poem expresses the depth of farewell.
First line, "wakareji no," means the road on which one parts and sets out.
Second line, "kusaba o wakemu": the conjectural "mu" pictures the journey of pushing through grasses to come, calling to mind the dew on their blades.
Third line, "tabigoromo" (traveling robe), is associated with "sode" (sleeves) in the final line.
Fourth line, "tatsu yori kanete": "tatsu" is a pivot meaning both to set out and to cut cloth, associated with the robe, and "kanete" means beforehand. "Tatamashi mono o" in 173 also plays on setting out and cutting cloth, so parting poems tied to robes echo each other within the book.
Final line, "nururu sode kana," closes with a sigh that sleeves meant to be wet with dew are already soaked with tears.
- Source
- Shika Wakashu
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