忍ぶれど

色に出でにけり

わが恋は

物や思ふと

人の問ふまで

たいらのかねもり

しのぶれど

いろにいでにけり

わがこいは

ものやおもうと

ひとのとうまで

Taira no Kanemori

Though I try to hide it,

My blushing shows

My real love.

What is on your mind

People even ask me.

Hokusai

Taira no Kanemori (? - 991) was a middle Heian period waka poet and nobleman, a member of the Taira clan, a descendant of emperor Koko (poem 15), the father of Akazome Emon (poem 59), and governor of Echigo province. He is one of the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets. He was a prolific poet.

作者略伝と語釈

The same line, shinoburedo, as in the previous poem 39 appears here. It is said that it was written for a poetry contest and that after an undecided verdict the emperor began to hum this poem and it consequently won the contest.

Hokusai’s drawing shows a road stand with a ninsomi, a professional physiognomist who can tell people’s fortunes by looking at their faces with his magnifying glass. Hokusai’s interpretation has some humour in it.

Taira no Kanemori by Kikuchi Yosai