Hyakunin Isshu: Meet the Poets
Acting Middle Counselor Sadaie

Meaning

Waiting for someone who will not come, at the quiet evening shore — like salt burned from the seaweed, I too am consumed by longing.

Commentary

"Matsuho no ura" plays on "matsu" (to wait) and the place name. "Moshio" (seaweed salt) was produced by burning seaweed on the shore; "kogare" means both "to smolder/burn" (for the fires) and "to burn with longing" (for the speaker). Place, sound, and emotion are unified through a single verb that carries both meanings simultaneously.

Fujiwara no Teika (Sadaie) was the compiler of the Hyakunin Isshu itself — one of the greatest figures in the history of Japanese poetry. He placed his own poem at number 97 in the anthology. Its technical mastery — multiple puns, precise imagery, emotional depth — is characteristic of his mature style and poetic philosophy.

Learn More