GSS 802
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Text
返し
Response
[よみ人しらず]
[Poet unknown]
ちかければ 何かはしるし 相坂の 関の外ぞと 思たえなん
When I am close by, what is the benefit? You will forget me, thinking "He's beyond the Meeting Barrier."
Textual Notes
- ちかければ] ちかけれど（安・堀・雲・坊・八）.
- しるし」しるき（坊）
- 外ぞ] ほかぞ（中・坊・承・正）、ほとぞ（堀）、ほかへ（安）、ほかに（雲）. The rest of the manuscripts have the kanji 外, and Nakayama emphasizes that it should be read ほか.
- 外ぞと] 外とぞ（標ィ・新ィ）
Other Sources
- 歌枕名寄（逢坂の関）
Notes
- ちかければ
- Most commentators interpret this as their closeness when still in the capital, but I prefer Kifune's reading that this refers to the closeness of Omi province to the capital. As seen above some manuscripts read ど. Norinaga preferred this reading and Kifune writes that the ば is 「『ど』に通じる用法」（全釈）. Kudo and Tokuhara agree. Katagiri is the only one to read it as ば "When I was close, what benefit will that have?"
- 何かはしるし
- かは is a 反語. 「（しるしは）はっきりと区別がつくこと、明確な保証」（全釈）
- 思ひたえなん
- The なん is interpreted by Kudo as "Let's break it off", whereas other commenters read it as a suppositional "you will probably forget me."
Analysis
As can be seen from the notes above, there is some difference of opinion on exactly what the poem says. Regardless, the poet is responding to the request of the lover with (at least feigned) bitterness. This poem could be written by a man or a woman; there are potential reasons for either a man or a woman to leave the capital to go down to the provinces.
「京にても度々あはぬ中なれば」（八代集抄）
