帰る春卯月の忌にさしこめて
しばしみあれのほどまでも見む
しばしみあれのほどまでも見む
- Roma-ji
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Kaeru haru uzuki no imi ni sashikomete shibashi miare no hodo made mo mimu
- English Translation
-
The departing spring
in the Fourth Month's abstinence
I will shut away,
and a while until the rite
of the miare I will keep it
- Meaning
- I will shut the departing spring inside the abstinence of the Fourth Month and keep watching it for a while, until the time of the Miare rite.
- Commentary
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Book One Spring Poems 92
The poet means to shut the departing spring inside the ritual seclusion that precedes the Kamo Festival in the Fourth Month, and keep it there until the time of the Miare rite. Since people closed their gates and stayed indoors during such seclusion, the witty idea is to lock spring in as well and not let it leave.
The author, Toshiyori, is Minamoto no Toshiyori. A son of Minamoto no Tsunenobu, he compiled this anthology, the Kin'yōwakashū, at the command of Retired Emperor Shirakawa, and is known for his innovative style.
First line, 'kaeru haru', is spring going away, taking up the theme of late spring from the preceding poems.
Second line, 'uzuki no imi ni', refers to uzuki no imi, the ritual abstinence held before the Kamo Festival in the Fourth Month.
Third line, 'sashikomete', means shutting it in, from the custom of closing the gates during abstinence.
Fourth line, 'shibashi miare no', names the Miare rite held before the Kamo Festival, a ceremony to welcome the descent of the god.
Final line, 'hodo made mo mimu', means I will watch it until that time, mu being volitional.
- Author
- Minamoto no Toshiyori
- Source
- Kinyo Wakashu
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Haru wa oshi hito wa koyoi to tanomureba omoiwazurau kyō no kure kana
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Omoiyare meguriaubeki haru dani mo tachiwakaruru wa kanashikari keri