Practise the thinking. Keep the judgement.
瀬を早み
Retired Emperor Sutoku · 崇徳院
瀬を早み
岩にせかるる
瀧川の
われても末に
逢はむとぞ思ふ
Historical kana
せをはやみ
いはにせかるる
たきがはの
われてもすゑに
あはむとぞおもふ
Original English translation
The river runs swiftly, divided by a rock; though we are parted, I believe we will meet again downstream.
History and context
Sutoku’s poem appears in the Shikashū love section. His later exile after the Hōgen conflict is part of his biography, but it should not be substituted for the poem’s stated love setting.
Imagery and wordplay
Separated currents reunite beyond the obstacle. The landscape offers a reason to hope through a present division.
Shikashū · 詞花集恋上228
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.