Wasuraruru hitome bakari o nageki nite koishiki koto no nakaramashikaba - Shika Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

忘らるる人目ばかりを嘆きにて
恋しきことのなからましかば

Roma-ji: Wasuraruru hitome bakari o nageki nite koishiki koto no nakaramashikaba
English Translation: If only the shame
of being seen forgotten
were my only grief,
and there were not besides
this longing that still remains
Meaning: If only my grief were just the shame of being seen as one forgotten, and there were no longing left in me besides — how much easier it would be.
Commentary: Book Eight Love Poems II 271

The shame of being seen as forgotten would be bearable on its own, the poet says, but the longing that will not fade makes it unbearable. In the counterfactual wish that longing itself did not exist lies the depth of a feeling that cannot be severed.
This poem closes the second book of love poems. Where the opening poem, 233, sang of a heart burning to meet the beloved, the book ends with a wish that longing would disappear.

The first line, "wasuraruru" (being forgotten), uses the attributive passive "ru." It is the same first line as 265 of this book, taking up again the lament of one forgotten.
The second line, "hitome bakari o," uses "bakari" to limit the grief to appearances in others' eyes.
The third line, "nageki nite," means "as the cause of my grief."
The fourth line, "koishiki koto no" (the longing), refers to love's yearning. It answers the burning love of the opening poem, 233, with a wish that such longing did not exist.
The final line, "nakaramashikaba," sets a counterfactual condition with "mashika," the irrealis of "mashi," and "ba," breaking off before the consequence and leaving a lingering resonance: if only there were no longing.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Shika Wakashu
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