Spin & Discover Kakekotoba!
Poem 67: Suō no Naishi
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.
春の夜の
夢ばかりなる
手枕に
かひなく立たむ
名こそをしけれ
Commentary
The word "kaina" is a kakekotoba.
A kakekotoba layers two meanings onto a single word that sounds the same either way.
Here, "kaina" carries both "腕" (arm) and "甲斐なく" (in vain, to no avail).
On a spring night, for a time as brief as a dream, if resting my head on your arm should give rise to nothing but empty rumors, that would be a regrettable, wasted thing indeed.
The poet layers "kaina" (arm) together with "kainaku" (in vain), composed in the midst of a witty exchange.
Packing two meanings into just thirty-one syllables is exactly what makes kakekotoba so appealing.
Vocabulary
In vain, to no purpose.
Resting one's head on someone's arm as a pillow.
Will likely arise. Here, refers to a rumor spreading.
It is precisely the rumor spreading that would be regrettable.