Practise the thinking. Keep the judgement.
忍ぶれど
Taira no Kanemori · 平兼盛
忍ぶれど
色に出にけり
我が戀は
ものや思ふと
人の問ふまで
Historical kana
しのぶれど
いろにいでにけり
わがこひは
ものやおもふと
ひとのとふまで
Original English translation
Though I hid it, my love has shown in my face, until people ask whether something is troubling me.
History and context
This poem is associated with the palace poetry contest of 960 and is paired in later tradition with Tadami’s following poem. The contest setting shows how convincingly poets could compose a lover’s voice.
Imagery and wordplay
The body betrays what words conceal. The observer’s question confirms that the secret has become visible.
Shūishū · 拾遺集恋一622
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.