Poems on Loneliness in the Hyakunin Isshu
The poems in the Hyakunin Isshu are usually categorized into a few major categories: seasonal poems, love poems, poems about travel or "separation", and "miscellaneous" if they don't fit into any of the previous categories. However, there are some other common themes, with one of the most common being loneliness. Often the author's loneliness is born of being separated from a lover, or being far from home. Sometimes their loneliness is born of the season, with fall and winter often eliciting feelings of sadness (I wonder if they knew about seasonal depression...)
Here are 5 select poems which deal with the topic of loneliness:
[28]やまざ (Yamaza)
yama-zato wa・fuyu zo sabishisa・masari keru
hitome mo kusa mo・karenu to omoeba
〜Minamoto no Muneyuki
Winter loneliness
In a mountain village grows
Only deeper, when
Guests are gone, and leaves and grass
Are withered: troubling thoughts.
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| "Evening Snow at Kanbara" by Utagawa Hiroshige |
The author of this poem seems to have a pretty strong case of the winter blues. He paints a clear picture of isolation: living in a small village where there are no visitors in winter, and of course, no greenery. It's as if life around him has disappeared. I also really resonate with the idea of the loneliness deepening, just as the darkness of winter deepens, or snow fall might deepen in a mountainous village. Perhaps it's because I come from a small town myself, but I really feel how loneliness can just start to slowly settle into your whole being in wintertime.
[91] きり (Kiri)
kirigirisu・naku ya shimo yo no・samushiro ni
koromo katashiki・hitori kamo nen
〜Fujiwara no Yoshitsune
A lonesome cricket
Chirping through the frosted night
As the cold sinks in;
Head cradled on my own sleeve
Tonight I sleep alone
koromo katashiki・hitori kamo nen
〜Fujiwara no Yoshitsune
Chirping through the frosted night
As the cold sinks in;
Head cradled on my own sleeve
Tonight I sleep alone
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| Photo by Shaifulnizam Harun on Unsplash |
At the time this poem was written, lovers spending the night together would often pillow their lover's head with their kimono sleeve (called temakura). In this poem, the author's loneliness is compounded by multiple lonely images: a single cricket, the chill of a frosty evening, and to make matters worse, no one to sleep beside, so he must sleep on his own kimono sleeve. It's hard to imagine a lonelier image...maybe holding your own hand or giving yourself a hug.
[8] わがい (Wagai)
waga io wa・miyako no tatsumi・shika zo sumu
yo o Ujiyama to・hito wa iu nari
yo o Ujiyama to・hito wa iu nari
〜Kisen Hōshi
My little hut lies
Southeast of the capital
Where deer come to graze.
"He's given up on the world",
they say, "to live on Mt. Uji."
 |
| Depiction of Sarumaru Dayū's poem ([5]Oku) by Hokusai |
In this poem, the poet's isolated home is contrasted with the capital, which would be filled with people. However, out on the mountain where the author lives, only the deer come to visit him. The author talks of how people speculate that he must have grown tired of the world to live in a place so remote. However, it's also implied that the author views these rumors with a sense of humor; he's making a pun that the name of the mountain he lives on can also mean "gloom". It's implied in his wording that he is not so miserable as people suspect. This poem takes a more lighthearted stance on how living in isolation can be much less lonesome than others might imagine it to be.
tare o ka mo・shiru hito ni sen・Takasago no
matsu mo mukashi no・tomo nara naku ni
〜Fujiwara no Okikaze
Who is still alive
When I have grown so old
That I can call my friends?
Even Takasago's pines
No longer offer comfort.
 |
| "Hamamatsu station" by Utagawa Hiroshige |
Compared to the previous poem, this one is much less lighthearted. The author of this poem, being long lived, has outlived many of his old friends. He compares himself to the pines that grow along the shore of Takasago; they are also known for their longevity, but alas, they don't make for very friendly company since they can't talk. Though most people wish to live a long, healthy life, this poem speaks very candidly about the loneliness that can come from growing old and losing dear friends.
[97] こぬ (Konu)
konu hito o・Matsuo no ura no・yunagi ni
yaku ya moshio no・mi mo kogare tsutsu
yaku ya moshio no・mi mo kogare tsutsu
〜Fujiwara no Teika Gon Chūnagon Sadaie
Like the salt sea-weed,
Burning in the evening calm.
On Matsuo's shore,
All my being is aflame,
Awaiting him who does not come.
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| Depiction of Gon Chūnagon Sadaie's poem by Hokusai |
Poem [21] Imako has a very similar theme, but I thought the imagery carried over well in the translation of this poem. This poem was written by Fujiwara no Teika, who also compiled the Hyakunin Isshu. His own poem which he chose to include in the anthology is said to be written from the perspective of a woman waiting for her lover. We can get a clear picture of the setting through the poet's choice of words: a calm evening, sea-weed burning, Matsuo's shore. As we immerse ourselves in this scenery, we can't help but also imagine the pain of the speaker in the poem: she is waiting and waiting for someone who we know from the start of the poem will never show up (来ぬ人＝ person who does not come). Yet, even though her partner never comes, her feelings continue to burn through the night.
〜💙〜
I know that for a lot of people, this year may have been a time where they felt more isolated and lonely than they ever have before. I think these poems help me to recognize that as heartbreaking as loneliness can feel in the moment, it is ultimately just a facet of the human experience: an emotion we all will feel at some point or another, no matter where we live or what time period we are living in. Although this moment in time is very unique, it is also something that will one day pass. I hope that no matter how lonely you might be feeling, that you will find a way to feel connected to others once again, even if it's just through reading some lonely poems with me.
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