Meet the Poets of Hyakunin Isshu
Semimaru

Meaning

So this is it — the Barrier of Ōsaka, where those who leave and those who return, those who know each other and those who do not, all meet and part.

Commentary

Semimaru is said to have been a blind lute-priest who lived near the Barrier of Ōsaka.

The Barrier of Ōsaka was a busy crossroads where many travellers passed. It is thought that Semimaru, witnessing the endless cycle of meetings and partings there, felt the impermanence of life and poured that feeling into this poem.

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