Hyakunin Isshu: Meet the Poets
Councillor Hitoshi

Meaning

Though I try to hide it, my longing spills over. Why is it that I cannot stop thinking of that person?

Commentary

The place name "Ono no Shinohara" contains "shinobu," which means both "to endure in secret" and "to remember with longing." The speaker tries to keep his feelings buried and hidden, like slender bamboo shoots concealed under rough, thin reeds — but the feeling grows too vast to contain. It overflows despite every effort to suppress it.

Councillor Hitoshi (Minamoto no Hitoshi) held the court position of Councillor (Sangi). His poetry tends toward the introspective, and this poem is a skilful example of how classical Japanese verse weaves wordplay and genuine emotion into a seamless whole. The poem was included in the Gosen Wakashū.

Learn More