Meet the Poets of Hyakunin Isshu
Fujiwara no Toshiyuki

Meaning

Even in my dreams, I find myself longing to go to you along the path of dreams — but do I hide from others' eyes even in the night?

Commentary

This poem expresses the anguish of waiting for a lover who no longer visits.

In the Heian period it was believed that if someone you loved appeared in your dream, it was a sign that they were thinking of you. And yet the lover appears in neither waking life nor in dreams.

The grief of not meeting and the fear that love has grown cold — both feelings are woven into this poem.

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