Waga koi wa natsuno no susuki shigekeredo ho ni shi araneba tou hito mo nashi

わが恋は夏野の薄しげけれど
ほにしあらねば問ふ人もなし

Roma-ji: Waga koi wa natsuno no susuki shigekeredo ho ni shi araneba tou hito mo nashi
English Translation: This love of mine
is like pampas grass in summer fields,
growing thick and dense,
but since it bears no plumes as yet,
no one comes to ask.
Meaning: My love is like the pampas grass of the summer fields, growing thick, but since it has not yet put out its plumes and shown itself, no one comes to ask after me.
Commentary: Love Poems 497

Headnote: "Hidden love, on grasses"
The poet's longing grows as thick as pampas grass in summer fields, but just as the grass has not yet put forth plumes, he does not show his love, and so no one comes to ask.

Line 1 means "this love of mine."
Line 2 names pampas grass in summer fields, not yet in plume.
Line 3 means "though it grows thick," overlaid with abundant longing; like shigeki in 410, love is entrusted to growing grass.
Line 4 means "since it is not in plume," ho meaning both plume and outward show.
Line 5 means "no one comes to ask."
Author: Minamoto no Sanetomo
Source: Kinkaishu
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