Hyakunin Isshu: Meet the Poets
Suō no Naishi

Meaning

In the spring night, resting my head on an arm for just a brief dream — how I grieve that my name might spread for such a fleeting thing.

Commentary

The word "kaina" means "arm" but also "useless/in vain" (かひなく), a pun central to the poem's wit. The situation: a man offered his arm as a pillow to Suō no Naishi during a gathering. She deflected the flirtation with this poem, using the very word "arm" to signal that the encounter would bring her no reward, only damage.

Suō no Naishi was a court lady celebrated for her sharp wit and quick poetic reflexes. Her poem became famous as a brilliant act of poetic self-defense — elegant, witty, and perfectly metered. The man who offered his arm was most likely Acting Middle Counselor Sadayori, who also appears in poem 64.

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