Meet the Poets of Hyakunin Isshu
Ariwara no Yukihira

Meaning

I am leaving for the province of Inaba, where the pines grow on the mountain peak. If I hear that you are waiting for me, I will come back right away.

Commentary

This poem was composed when the poet was appointed Governor of Inaba and set out from the capital for his post. He recited it for those who had come to see him off.

The poem may hold within it the loneliness of leaving the capital, his feelings for the family and friends he was leaving behind, and perhaps an anxiety about living in an unfamiliar place.

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