秋の田の穂の上に巣がくささがにの
いとわればかり物は思はじ
いとわればかり物は思はじ
- Roma-ji
-
Aki no ta no ho no ue ni sugaku sasagani no ito ware bakari mono wa omowaji
- English Translation
-
Like the spider's thread
spun across the ears of rice
in the autumn fields,
no one, surely, as much as I,
is lost in longing thought.
- Meaning
- Like the threads of the spider weaving its web over the ears of rice in the autumn fields, surely no one broods on love as deeply as I.
- Commentary
-
Love Poems 559
Headnote: "Sent to a certain person"
From the threads of a spider weaving its web over the ripening rice of autumn fields the poet draws ito, "exceedingly," and says no one could brood as deeply as he. It was sent to a certain person.
Kamo no Mabuchi marked this poem with a circle.
Line 1 means "of the autumn fields of rice."
Line 2 means "weaving a web over the ears."
Line 3 means "of the spider," whose thread leads to ito; the first three lines form a preface.
Line 4 plays on ito, "thread" and "exceedingly": no one as much as I.
Line 5 means "would not brood," ji being negative conjecture. From the ruined old home, the scene shifts to ripening autumn fields.
- Author
- Minamoto no Sanetomo
- Source
- Kinkaishu
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