GSS 669

Text

(77v) 題しらず

藤原治方

世のつねの　ねをしなかねば　逢事の　涙の色も　ことにぞありける

Translation

Circumstance Unknown

Fujiwara no Harukata

I do not cry (2) / like the normal world (1) / so the color of the tears (4) / of our not-meeting (3) / are quite different, I see.

Textual variants

• 藤原治方] 藤原春方（白・新ィ）
• ねをしなかねば] なりにし中は（堀*）、ねをしなかねど（片ィ）、ねにしなかねば（雲・新ィ）

Notes

世のつねの　ねをしなかねば

There are two readings of this:

1. The crying is not the normal kind one would do -- it's much more fierce, thus tears of blood come out. (新抄、新注、和歌大系)

2. The poet is attempting to hold in his tears and not let them show before the world like most people do. (全釈、大系)

涙の色も

This plays on 逢ふ事の無み and the "blood tears" common in love poetry. The も is in addition to the voice (和歌大系)

ことにぞありける

異（こと）なりける, clefted to add ぞ in between.

Analysis

The poet uses the well-worn image of the "tears of blood", but attempts to explain the reason why he is crying that way. 「涙が紅である理由に気付いたとの心」（新注）