Two poems composed when lying in sickness, saddened by the ephemerality of life, and desiring to follow the Way.
うつせみは數なき身なり山川のさやけき見つつ道を尋ねな
| utusemi pa kazu naki mï nari yama kapa nö sayakëki mitutu miti wo tadune na |
This world of ours Is but a passing thing. A moutain stream’s Clean purity in my gaze, I would find the Way. |
Ōtomo no Yakamochi
A poem expressing the feelings of a frontier guard on parting from his loved ones, with tanka.
大君の 任けのまにまに 島守に 我が立ち來れば ははそ葉の 母の命は み裳の裾 摘み上げ掻き撫で ちちの實の 父の命は 栲づのの 白髭の上ゆ 涙垂り 嘆きのたばく 鹿子じもの ただ獨りして 朝戸出の 愛しき我が子 あらたまの 年の緖長く 相見ずは 戀しくあるべし 今日だにも 言問ひせむと 惜しみつつ 悲しびませば 若草の 妻も子どもも をちこちに さはに圍み居 春鳥の 聲のさまよひ 白栲の 袖泣き濡らし たづさはり 別れかてにと 引き留め 慕ひしものを 大君の 命畏み 玉桙の 道に出で立ち 岡の崎 い廻むるごとに 萬たび かへり見しつつ はろはろに 別れし來れば 思ふそら 安くもあらず 戀ふるそら 苦しきものを うつせみの 世の人なれば たまきはる 命も知らず 海原の 畏き道を 島傳ひ い漕ぎ渡りて あり廻り 我が來るまでに 平けく 親はいまさね つつみなく 妻は待たせと 住吉の 我が統め神に 幣奉り 祈り申して 難波津に 船を浮け据ゑ 八十楫貫き 水手ととのへて 朝開き 我は漕ぎ出ぬと 家に告げこそ
| opokimi nö make nö manimani simamori ni wa ga tatikureba papasoba nö papa nö mikötö pa mimo nö suso tumiagekakinade titi nö mï nö titi nö mikötö pa takuduna nö sirapigë nö upë yu namida tari nagëki nötabaku kakozimo nö tada pitöri site asa to de nö kanasiki wa ga ko aratama nö tösi nö wo nagaku apimizu pa kopïsiku arubësi kepu dani mo kötö topisemu tö wosimitutu kanasibimaseba wakakusa nö tuma mo kodömo mo wotiköti ni sapa ni kakumiwi paru töri nö kowe nö samayopi sirotapë nö sode naki nurasi tadusapari wakare kate ni tö pikitödöme sitapisi monö wo opokimi nö mikötö kasikomi tamapokö nö miti ni idetati woka nö saki itamuru götö ni yörödutabi kaperimisitutu paroparo ni wakaresikureba omopu sora yasuku mo arazu kopuru sora kurusiki monö wo utusemi nö yö nö pitö nareba tamakiparu inöti mo sirazu unapara nö kasikoki miti wo simadutapi ikögiwatarite ari meguri wa ga kuru made ni tapirakeku oya pa imasane tutuminaku tuma pa matase tö suminoe nö a ga sume kamï ni nusa maturi inörimawosite nanipa tu ni pune wo ukesuwe yaso ka nuki kako tötönöpete asa piraki wa pa kögidenu tö ipe ni tuge kösö |
My great lord Gave an order that For an island guard I should go; so Trembling as an oak leaf, My honoured mother Her skirt hem Grasped and brushed me down; Ripe as berries on the tree, My honoured father, A rope of hemp, His white beard, With tears dripping, Sadly said, “Like a fawn, You will be all alone, On your morning leavetaking, My sweet child. A new jewel, The year’s length stretches far, And not seeing you, How we will miss you. If only for today, Let me speak with you.” Constantly regretting, And filled with sadness, So, as young grass, My wife and children Here and there All sitting round, As spring birds They moaned; White mulberry cloth Sleeves wet with weeping, They took my hands Saying, “You can’t go!” Trying to stop me leaving, All my little loved ones: Following my great lord’s Awesome order: On the jewelled spear straight Road I set my foot; Through the headlands of the hills Passing, A myriad times Did I look homeward; By distance far From home parted so, As long as I can feel My pain will not be eased, and As long as I do love Will I feel sorrow; Of this world I am a man, so The soul-ending Life to come I do not know; Over the wide sea’s sweep, Following a fearful path From island to island I go rowing across, Around and round; “Until I return again, Safely Let my parents be; Unplucked, Let my wife await me,” To Suminoe’s Mighty god, I make an offering, Speaking a prayer; In the ferry port at Naniwa Floats my boat, Many oars arrayed, Oarsmen at the ready And with the dawn I’ll go rowing out: Tell them that at home! |
家思ふと寐を寢ず居れば鶴が鳴く葦邊も見えず春の霞に
| ipe omopu tö i wo nezu woreba tadu ga naku asibe mo miezu paru nö kasumi ni |
Thinking of home I lie sleepless; The cranes call From the reedbeds – unseen In the springtime haze. |
The above poems were composed by Yakamochi, Lord Ōtomo, Junior Assistant Minster at the War Ministry, on the 19th day.