GSS 795
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Text
(98v) 女につかはしける
Sent to a woman
Lord Toshiyuki
わが恋の かずをかぞへば あまの原 くもりふたがり ふる雨のごと
If I were to count my love, it would be like the rain falling from the sky blocked by clouds.
Textual Variants
- 女に] 女のもとに（中・行・雲・坊・正保・標・新・旧国・全釈）
- 敏行朝臣] 藤原敏行朝臣（中・雲・慶・坊・承・正）(坊 has furigana on 敏 of ノリ)
- わが恋の] 我が恋は（堀*）
- かぞへば] かずへば（承・正）
Other Sources
- 敏行集１７. Prose preface をむなのもとにつかはす. Fourth line くもゐはるかに.
Notes
- かぞへば
- This introduces a "If...then" structure, with the final "then" implied.「俗言に数ヘタナラバといふ意也。さて、この詞は、結句へかかりて、結句の下に「ならん」と云詞を添へて心得べきなり」（新抄）
- あまの原
- This metaphor for the sky plays up its vastness.
- くもりふたがり
- 「雲おほふ心也」（八代集抄）
- ふる雨のごと
- 「ふる雨のごとは、降る雨の如くなり」（新抄）
Analysis
The poem is simple and direct in its expression, and the idea of "counting" love is found in a number of other poems. See GSS 631,GSS 643, also 兼盛集２９ 君を思ふ数にしとらばをやみなくふりそふあめのあしはものかは and from the 古今和歌集序「我が恋はよむともつきじありそ海の真砂はよみ尽くすとも」
There is no clear reason for the rain imagery -- perhaps it was sent on a rainy day or the couple's last meeting was during a rainstorm. The alternate reading of 雲居はるかに complements the wide, open feeling of あまの原.
