Aug 1, 2008

Meanwhile a long long time ago

All day today I remembered an exchange from the Kokinshu:

Poem No. 645

When Narihira visited the province of Ise, he met, in secrecy, the
person who was serving as the High Priestess there. The next morning,
before he was able to find a way to send her a message, this poem was
delivered from the woman:

きみやこし
我や行きけむ
おもほえず
夢かうつつか
ねてかさめてか

(kimi ya koshi
ware ya yukikemu
omooezu
yume ka utsutsu ka
nete ka samete ka)

That is:

Did you come to me?
Did I go to you?
I cannot know.
Was it dream? Reality?
Was I asleep? Was I awake?


To which Narihira replied (Poem No. 646):

かきくらす
心のやみに
迷ひにき
夢うつつとは
世人さだめよ

(kakikurasu
kokoro no yami ni
madoiniki
yume utsutsu to wa
yohito sadame yo)

I wandered, too
in heart-blinding darkness
Was it dream
or reality?
Let others decide

Nete ka, samete ka. I suppose that would be in Polish nie wiem czy na jawie, czy mi sie snilo.

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