GSS 672

Text

年へていひ渡侍ける女に

源すぐる

ひさしくも　こひわたる哉　すみの江の　岸に年ふる　松ならなくに

Translation

[Sent] to a woman he had been exchanging messages with for a long time

Minamoto no Suguru

So long / I have loved you! / Though I am not the pine tree (5) / aged on the cliffs (4) / of Sumi Bay (3).

Textual Notes

• Teika's note: 俊　少将使宣旨　右大弁唱男
• すもの江の] すもよしの（堀・雲）
• ならなくに] よりもけに（荒・片・雲・慶）

Other Sources

• 五代歌枕 (Fifth line 松よりもけに)　歌枕名寄

Notes

松

The pine tree at Sumiyoshi was conventionally used in poetry as a symbol of eternity or a long period of time (here the time that the poet has longed for the woman). It also has the usual play on 待.

Analysis

SIS 740: すみのえの松ならねども久しくも君とねぬよのなりにけるかな

KKS われ見ても久しくなりぬ住江の岸の姫松いく世経ぬらむ