Spin & Discover Kakekotoba!
Poem 20: Prince Motoyoshi
Try to find the kakekotoba hidden in the poem and tap it.
The word you tap will spin right where it is, revealing its two meanings in turn.
わびぬれば
いまはたおなじ
難波なる
みをつくしても
逢はむとぞ思ふ
Commentary
The word "mi o tsukushi" is a kakekotoba.
A kakekotoba layers two meanings onto a single word that sounds the same either way.
Here, "mi o tsukushi" carries both "澪標" (channel markers) and "身を尽くし" (giving everything of myself).
I have already suffered so much heartbreak that nothing else matters now. Like the channel markers standing in the sea at Naniwa, I would give everything of myself just to see you once more. It is a passionate poem of love, layering the fierce resolve of "giving everything of myself" onto a scene tied to a place name.
Packing two meanings into just thirty-one syllables is exactly what makes kakekotoba so appealing.
Vocabulary
Because I have already suffered so much heartbreak.
Now it no longer makes a difference either way.
That which is in Naniwa. "Naru" expresses existence.
Wooden markers set up in the sea at Naniwa to show ships the safe channel.
Giving everything of myself, staking all I have for you.
I intend to meet you. "Mu" expresses intention, "zo" adds emphasis.