Hyakunin Isshu #53

    The time spent lying
lamenting all through the night
    alone until dawn
does indeed seem very long --
but, would you know about that?

—12 November 2009

Original by a woman known as the mother of Michitsuna (few personal names of Heian court women were recorded, and many are known by only by use-names derived from a male relative), best known for writing the Kagerō Nikki (Gossamer Diary). This was sent to her husband when he complained about being made to wait outside for longer than he liked during one of his infrequent visits. If I construe it correctly, the last line is a rhetorical question ("you know how ... ?") marked as expecting a negative answer (the mono to ka part) -- I want to make it "but then, would you know about that?" but it doesn't fit the meter.


nageki tsutsu
hitori nuru yo no
akuru ma wa
ikani hisashiki
mono to ka wa shiru

---L.