Practise the thinking. Keep the judgement.
難波潟
Ise · 伊勢
難波潟
短き葦の
ふしのまも
あはで此の世を
すぐしてよとや
Historical kana
なにはがた
みじかきあしの
ふしのまも
あはでこのよを
すぐしてよとや
Original English translation
Not even for the brief space between the nodes of a short reed in Naniwa Bay shall we meet—must I live this whole life so?
History and context
Ise was a prominent court poet whose literary name came from her father’s provincial office. The Naniwa reeds provide a conventional coastal setting for an urgent plea about separation.
Imagery and wordplay
A tiny reed interval measures a possible meeting; the whole of a life stands against that tiny span.
Shinkokinshū · 新古今集恋一1049
Japanese text and historical kana follow the linked Wikisource transcription. Classical poems can have variant spellings and wording in different anthologies. The source anthology reference identifies the version represented in this collection, not necessarily its earliest surviving text. English prose translations and reading notes are original interpretations; some wordplay permits more than one reading.