逢ふことも我が心よりありしかば
恋は死ぬとも人は恨みじ
恋は死ぬとも人は恨みじ
- Roma-ji
-
Au koto mo waga kokoro yori arishikaba koi wa shinu tomo hito wa uramiji
- English Translation
-
Since our meeting too
was born from my own heart's will,
so it was, and so,
though I should die of this love,
I will not resent you for it
- Meaning
- Since our meeting too began with my own heart's wish, even if I die of this love, I will not resent you.
- Commentary
-
Book Eight Love Poems II 262
Because meeting the beloved was what his own heart desired, the poet resolves not to resent her even if love's pain should kill him. The poem shows a clean resolve to take the blame for love upon himself.
The first line, "au koto mo" (our meeting too), uses "mo": the meeting as well.
The second line, "waga kokoro yori" (from my own heart), uses "yori" to mark the starting point, saying it began with his own will.
The third line, "arishikaba," is a conditional of certainty with the perfective past "shika" and "ba": since that was so.
The fourth line, "koi wa shinu tomo," uses the concessive "tomo": even if I die of love.
The final line, "hito wa uramiji," uses the negative volitional "ji": I will not resent her. Like poem 221 of Book Seven, which held that love's pain is not the beloved's fault, it takes the blame upon the self.
- Author
- Minamoto no Kunizane
- Source
- Shika Wakashu
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