[14] みち (Michi)

 Poem Meaning and Background

みちのくの ・しのぶもぢずり・たれゆゑに

michinoku no・shinobu moji-zuri・tare yue ni

みだれそめにし・われならなくに

midare some ni shi・ware naranaku ni

〜河原左大臣 (Kawara no Sadaijin)

Translation

Like Michinoku prints
Of the tangled leaves of ferns,
It is because of you
That I have become confused;
But my love for you remains.

Meaning

    Shinobu moji-zuri is a special method of dying cloth in a sort of criss-crossed pattern as can be seen in the picture above.  This dying method was used in area of Japan that was called Michinoku in the author's time, but now it's called Fukushima. In this poem, the word shinobu carries a double meaning, referring both to the name of this dying technique and also to the author's hidden feelings. 

    In the Japanese poem, the author poses his feelings as a question to the person whom he feels affection for: "Who should I blame for these chaotic feelings?" and concludes that it is not himself but the object of his affections who is to blame.  

Author

Kawara no Sadaijin (822~895), whose real name was Minamoto no Tōru, was the 12th son of Emperor Saga. He is considered to be the model for Hikaru Genji, the titular character of the Japanese literary classic "The Tale of Genji". This novel, authored by Murasaki Shikibu (also author of poem [57] Me) is considered by many to be the world's first novel. Seeing as the novel focuses on Genji's many love affairs, we can assume the real-life model for this character must have also had many experiences with love in his lifetime.