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Hyakunin Isshu No. 21 · Priest SoseiIma Kon to

“Think It Over (I'm Coming Right Away)” — Priest SoseiSource: Kokinshū, Love IV · 691
今来むと いひしばかりに 長月の
有明の月を 待ち出でつるかな
Ima komu to iishi bakari ni nagatsuki no
ariake no tsuki o machi-idetsuru kana
Just because you said 'I'm coming right away,'
I waited through the long September night, until the daybreak moon appeared.
Hyakunin IsshuKokin WakashūLoveAutumnWaitingA room where one waits all night for the dawn moon
Ima Kon to jacket art▶

What the poem says

Only because you said 'I'm coming right away,' I waited through the long September night until the daybreak moon appeared.

Music Video

ミュージックビデオ

The Story

歌のものがたり

Historical Background

Sosei Hōshi (dates unknown; ninth to tenth century) was the son of the monk Henjō, who followed his father into holy orders and became a monk-poet; he is one of the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals. This poem is a "woman's poem," composed by the male Sosei from a woman's point of view. "Nagatsuki" is the ninth month of the lunar calendar, the season of the longest nights, and "the moon at daybreak" (ariake no tsuki) is the moon still lingering in the sky after dawn. Since ancient times there have been two readings, "she waited all night" and "she kept waiting for months on end," but either way the theme is the sheer length of time she was kept waiting. Included in the Kokin Wakashū, Love IV.

The Poet's Heart

"I'll come right away." Relying on nothing but those words, she kept waiting through the long autumn night, and before she knew it the dawn moon had risen. It is less a reproach than a light sigh mixed with resignation and self-mockery. The humor of shaping anger into the neat form of thirty-one syllables is what gives this poem its dignity.

What We Put into the Lyrics

We marked out the night of waiting after being told "I'm coming now" by the height of the moon: moonrise in the late evening, the zenith at midnight, and touchdown at daybreak with the original poem's moon at dawn. The invention is to turn the moon into the night's clock. She was counting up her reasons to be angry, but the moon is so beautiful that the moon steals away her intention to be angry. So the ending is not the defeat of having waited in vain but a declaration of victory: "The moon at daybreak can only be seen by those who waited." It is a song that flips a reproach into a boast.

Lyrics

歌詞
Japanese

今来むと（古今集/素性法師・百人一首21番）Garu JP

Intro Hook

考えて！（考えて！）

考えて！（考えて！）

私を待たせた その意味を

考えて！

Verse 1

「今から行く」と 言ったよね（言ったよね！）

待ってるうちに 月が出た（月が出た！）

前髪直して 待ってるこっちの

気持ちも少しは 考えて！（考えて！）

Chorus 1

今来むと 言ひしばかりに 長月の

有明の月を 待ち出でつるかな

すぐ行くと 言ったのは（言ったのは！）

そっちなのに（そっちなのに！）

秋の夜は 長いのよ

考えて！（考えて！）

Verse 2

待ちくたびれて（くたびれて！） 月はてっぺん（てっぺん！）

怒る理由を 三つ数えたけど

見とれるほどに 月がきれいで

怒るつもりを 月にとられた

Chorus 2

今来むと 言ひしばかりに 長月の

有明の月を 待ち出でつるかな

あの月だって（月だって！）

知ってるの（知ってるの！）

「すぐ行く」は 当てにならない

考えて！（考えて！）

Drop

今来むと 言ひしばかりに

長月の

有明の月を

待ち出でつるかな

Bridge

月が見てる！（月が見てる！）

月が見てる！（月が見てる！）

千年前から 同じ夜を

月が見てる！（見てる！）

Chorus 3

今来むと 言ひしばかりに 長月の

有明の月を 待ち出でつるかな

待つのは負けじゃない（負けじゃない！）

好きの証拠（証拠！）

この月を見れた夜は 私のもの

考えて！（考えて！）

Final Chorus

明け方の月は 見たことある？（あるの？）

待った人にしか 見えないの！（見えない！）

今度会ったら 自慢してやる

「あんたのおかげで きれいだった」

考えて！（考えて！） 考えて！（考えて！）

考えて！！（考えて！！）

Outro

有明の月を…… 待ち出でつるかな

（考えて！）

English

Think it over! (Think it over!)

Think it over! (Think it over!)

What it means to keep me waiting —

think it over!

"I'm coming right now," you said (you said!)

While I waited, the moon came up (moon came up!)

Fixed my bangs, kept waiting here —

spare a thought for me! (Think it over!)

"Coming right away," you said — and so, through the long-month night

I waited till the daybreak moon came out

You're the one who said (who said it!)

you'd come right away (right away!)

Autumn nights are long, you know

Think it over! (Think it over!)

Tired of waiting (so tired!) — the moon's at the top (at the top!)

I counted three good reasons to be angry

But the moon was so beautiful I stared

and it stole my anger clean away

"Coming right away," you said — and so, through the long-month night

I waited till the daybreak moon came out

Even that moon (that moon!)

knows it's true (knows it's true!)

"Be right there" can't be trusted

Think it over! (Think it over!)

"Coming right away," you said — and so

through the long month of autumn

the moon of daybreak

I ended up awaiting

The moon is watching! (The moon is watching!)

The moon is watching! (The moon is watching!)

The same night, for a thousand years

the moon's been watching! (watching!)

"Coming right away," you said — and so, through the long-month night

I waited till the daybreak moon came out

Waiting isn't losing (isn't losing!)

It's proof of love (it's proof!)

The night I saw this moon is mine

Think it over! (Think it over!)

Have you ever seen the moon at dawn? (Have you?)

Only those who waited get to see it! (get to see!)

Next time we meet, I'll brag about it:

"Thanks to you, it was beautiful"

Think it over! (Think it over!) Think it over! (Think it over!)

Think it over!! (Think it over!!)

The moon of daybreak… I awaited it after all

(Think it over!)

Ima Kon to (Kokinshu / Priest Sosei, Hyakunin Isshu No. 21) Garu JP

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