Ken-toku Kō

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A Hundred Verses from Old Japan (The Hyakunin-isshu), tr. by William N. Porter, [1909], at sacred-texts.com

p. 45

Aware to mo
Iu beki hito wa
Omohoede
Mi no itazura ni
Narinu beki kana.

I DARE not hope my lady-love
  Will smile on me again;
She knows no Pity, and my life
  I care not to retain,
  Since all my prayers are vain.

The real name of the writer of this verse was Koretada Fujiwara; he died in the year 972, and Prince Ken-toku is his posthumous name.

Aware to mo means, in conjunction with the next line, 'that she would give me words of pity'; but aware tomo can also mean 'to meet as a friend.'

In spite of the Prince's fears, the illustration seems to suggest that his lady-love changed her mind, and came to visit him once more.

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