classic waka stream

夜を寒み独り寝覚めの床冴えて
わが衣手に露ぞ置きける
Roma-ji

Yo o samumi hitori nezame no toko saete waga koromode ni tsuyu zo okikeru

English Translation
The night is so cold,
waking alone on my bed
chilled through and through,
upon the sleeve of my robe
I find the dew has settled.
Meaning
The night is so cold that, waking alone, I find my bed chilled through and dew settled upon my sleeve.
Commentary
Miscellaneous Poems 595

Headnote: "Composed and sent by a messenger when a certain person had gone up to the capital"
Sent by messenger to someone who had gone up to the capital, the poem tells of waking alone on a cold night to a chilled bed and dew on the sleeve, the dew hinting at tears for the one who has gone. Kamo no Mabuchi marked it with praise but felt the phrase "waking alone" was not quite apt.
The Ruijū text ends the headnote with tsukawasu, "sent."

Line 1 means "since the night is cold," o ... mi expressing cause. From this poem to 600 runs a series sent to the person who went to the capital.
Line 2 means "waking alone."
Line 3 means "the bed chilled through."
Line 4 means "on my sleeve."
Line 5 means "the dew has settled," zo concluded by keru; the dew suggests tears.
Author
Minamoto no Sanetomo
Source
Kinkaishu
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