何せむに思ひかけけむ唐衣
恋しきことはみさをならぬに
恋しきことはみさをならぬに
- Roma-ji
-
Nani sen ni omoi kakekemu karakoromo koishiki koto wa misao naranu ni
- English Translation
-
Why ever did I
hang my heart upon you so,
like a Chinese robe,
when the longing of a lover
is no steady thing at all
- Meaning
- Why did I hang my heart on you, as one hangs a Chinese robe, when longing is something no heart can keep steady?
- Commentary
-
Book Seven Love Poems I 360
The poet regrets having set his heart on the beloved, since a longing heart can never be kept calm. Laying the hanging of a robe over the hanging of one's heart, the poem laments a heart thrown into disorder by love. The wording admits several readings.
Some manuscripts mark it 'topic unknown'.
First line, 'nani sen ni', means for what, expressing a question.
Second line, 'omoi kakekemu', means why did I set my heart on you, kake joining the setting of one's heart with the hanging of a robe. Using the past conjecture kemu, the poem breaks after the second line.
Third line, 'karakoromo', is a beautiful robe in the Chinese style, a word related to kake in the second line.
Fourth line, 'koishiki koto wa', means as for longing.
Final line, 'misao naranu ni', means when it cannot be kept steady, misao meaning to keep one's heart unchanged.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Kinyo Wakashu
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