瑞垣の久しき世より木綿襷
かけし心は神ぞ知るらむ
かけし心は神ぞ知るらむ
- Roma-ji
-
Mizugaki no hisashiki yo yori yūdasuki kakeshi kokoro wa kami zo shiruramu
- English Translation
-
Like the sacred fence
from ages long, long ago,
the cords of mulberry—
the heart I have hung on you
the god surely knows.
- Meaning
- From ages as long as the sacred fence has stood, I have hung my heart upon the god as one hangs a sacred sash; surely the god knows it.
- Commentary
-
Miscellaneous Poems 646
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "When I composed many poems on the gods"
From ages as old as the sacred fence, the poet has devoted his heart to the god as one wears the sacred sash in service; surely the god knows. He appeals to the god with long, deep faith.
It was included in the imperial anthology Shingosen Wakashū. The Ruijū text places it in its section on the gods. Line 3 reads fuyudasuki in the source as displayed and is here read yūdasuki.
Line 1 means "of the sacred fence," also used as a pillow word for "long."
Line 2 means "from long ages past."
Line 3 names the mulberry-fibre sash worn in sacred service, a pillow word for kake, "to hang."
Line 4 means "the heart I have hung," overlaying hanging the sash and setting the heart upon the god.
Line 5 means "the god surely knows," zo concluded by ramu; against the "so be it" of the preceding poem, it sings of steadfast trust in the god.
- Author
- Minamoto no Sanetomo
- Source
- Kinkaishu
- Prev Poem
-
Satomiko ga miyutate sasa no soyosoyo ni nabiki okifushi yoshi ya yo no naka
- Next Poem
-
Dainichi no shuji yori idete samayagyō samayagyō mata songyō to naru