Hyakunin Isshu, Poem 65
Translation and comments by Ad Blankestijn
(version September 2022)
though bitter resentment
has utterly ruined
what I really deplore
is love's ruin of my honor
urami wabi
hosanu sode dani
aru mono o
koi ni kuchinamu
na koso oshikere
恨みわび
ほさぬ袖だに
あるものを
恋に朽ちなん
名こそ惜しけれ
Sagami 相模 (11th c.)
The head note in the Goshuishu identifies this poem as composed for a poetry contest that took place in the palace in the fifth month of 1051 (described in A Tale of Flowering Fortunes).
By the way, with this poem we leave the Fujiwara Regency of the Heian period and enter the time of the Cloistered Emperors, the Insei Period (mid-11th c. -1185).
Notes
- uramiwabi: "wabu" = to be sad, to sigh.
- hosanu sode dani: "hosanu" = sleeves which remain wet from tears. "dani" = even.
- aru mono wo: "mono wo" is a contradictory conjunction.
- koi ni kuchinamu: "-mu" indicates a conjecture."Because of my love, I'll end up with a scandalous reputation."
- na koso oshikere: na = reputation
The Poet
Sagami's dates are unknown, but she was probably born between 995 and 1003.
The identity of her real father is not known, but her mother was a daughter of Yoshishige no Yasuakira, Governor of Noto Province. Her stepfather seems to have been Minamoto no Yorimitsu, Governor of Tajima Province. Before 1020, she married Oe no Kin'yori, Governor of Sagami Province, and came to be called "Sagami's wife." Although she accompanied her husband to his place of work in Sagami Province, their married life broke down, and they divorced soon after returning to Kyoto in 1024. Subsequently, Chunagon (vice-councilor of state) Fujiwara no Sadayori, who was the eldest son of Fujiwara no Kinto, often made approaches to her.
After a while, she began to serve Princess Shushi (Nagako), the eldest daughter of Emperor Ichijo. After the death of Shushi in 1049, she served Princess Yushi, a daughter of Emperor Go-Suzaku.
Sagami joined many uta awase (poetry matches), and was actively involved in the waka poem circles of the emperors Go-Suzaku and Go-Reizei. All those uta awase were held with the support of distinguished persons, which suggests that she had a high reputation. 109 of her poems were included in imperial anthologies starting with the Goshuishu. The number of her poems collected in that last collection, which was compiled during the era of Emperor Shirakawa, was the second highest after Izumi Shikibu. The manuscript of her personal collection of poems is also still in existence.
References: Pictures of the Heart, The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua S. Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996); One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, by Peter MacMIllan (Penguin Classics); Traditional Japanese Poetry, An Anthology, by Steven D. Carter (Stanford University Press, 1991); Hyakunin Isshu by Inoue Muneo, etc. (Shinchosha, 1990); Genshoku Hyakunin Isshu by Suzuki Hideo, etc. (Buneido, 1997); Chishiki Zero kara no Hyakunin Isshu, by Ariyoshi Tamotsu (Gentosha); Hyakunin Isshu Kaibo Zukan, by Tani Tomoko (X-Knowledge); Ogura Hyakunin Isshu at Japanese Text Initiative (University of Virginia Library Etext Center); Hyakunin Isshu wo aruku by Shimaoka Shin (Kofusha Shuppan); Hyakunin Isshu, Ocho waka kara chusei waka e by Inoue Muneo (Chikuma Shoin, 2004); Basho's Haiku (2 vols) by Toshiharu Oseko (Maruzen, 1990); The Ise Stories by Joshua S. Mostow and Royall Tyler (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010); Kokin Wakashu, The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry by Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford University Press, 1985); Kokinshu, A Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern by Laurel Rasplica Rodd and Mary Catherine Henkenius (University of Tokyo Press, 1984); Kokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1994); Shinkokin Wakashu (Shogakkan, 1995); Taketori Monogatari-Ise Monogatari-Yamato Monogatari-Heichu Monogatari (Shogakkan, 1994).
Illustration: Wiki Commons.
Hyakunin Isshu Index