恋すてふもじの関守幾たびか
我書きつらむ心づくしに
我書きつらむ心づくしに
- Roma-ji
-
Koisu chō moji no sekimori iku tabi ka ware kakitsuramu kokorozukushi ni
- English Translation
-
That I am in love,
these letters, like Moji's guard,
how many times
have I written them out
with a heart spent to Tsukushi
- Meaning
- How many times have I written out the letters that say I am in love, pouring out all my heart, like the barrier guard at Moji in far Tsukushi?
- Commentary
-
Book Seven Love Poems I 379
The poet wonders how many times he has written, with all his heart, the letters saying he is in love. With moji meaning both letters and Moji, and tsukushi meaning both pouring out and Tsukushi, the poem weaves in place names of Kyushu to convey the feeling put into letters that bring no answer.
Some manuscripts give the headnote 'Sent to a woman.'
The author, Akisuke, is Fujiwara no Akisuke. A son of Fujiwara no Akisue, founder of the Rokujō Fujiwara house, he rose to Master of the Western Capital Office and compiled the Shikawakashū at the command of Retired Emperor Sutoku.
First line, 'koisu chō', means that I am in love. It is the same as the first line of poem 359 in this book.
Second line, 'moji no sekimori', is a pivot word in which moji means both moji, written characters, and the barrier of Moji in Buzen, left in kana. The sekimori is the barrier guard.
Third line, 'iku tabi ka', means how many times, the particle ka binding with the attributive ramu in the fourth line.
Fourth line, 'ware kakitsuramu', means have I written, the perfective tsu joined to the present conjecture ramu.
Final line, 'kokorozukushi ni', is a pivot word in which tsukushi means both tsukushi, pouring out one's heart, and Tsukushi, where the Moji barrier stands, left in kana. It is linked to moji in the second line through the place names.
- Author
- Fujiwara no Akisuke
- Source
- Kinyo Wakashu
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Kaku to dani mada iwashiro no musubimatsu musubohoretaru waga kokoro kana
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Inochi dani hakanakarazu wa toshi fu tomo aimin koto o matamashi mono o