The original poem contains a play on words, as well as a reference to another well-known poetic incident. The courtier is gazing into the imperial drainage channel, mikaFa 御溝, close to the palace. Sanekata replies by mentioning the Eight Bridges, yatu Fasi 八橋 over the River Mikawa 三河 in the province which bore its name in the east of Japan. This was the site of a well known incident involving Ariwara no Narihira which was recorded in both the 9th section of the Ise Monogatari 伊勢物語 and KKS IX: 410, in which he composes a poem subtley longing for the wife he has left behind in the capital. Sanekata is saying, ‘You may not be as far away as Mikawa, but the one you long for is in the palace and so is equally unreachable.’