Lakes 水海
恋ひわぶる人にあふみの海といへどみるめはおひぬ物にぞありける
| koiwaburu hito ni ōmi no umi to iedo mirume wa oinu mono ni zo arikeru | Suffering with love’s pains Folk meet at Ōmi Sea, they say, though No prying eyes arise from midst the seaweed there – ‘Tis true to say! |
Daishin
A different interpretation, viewing “oinu” (which still appears to be “omoinu” in the romanised version) as negative: They say that you can / meet a lover you long for / at Lake Ōmi, / but there’s no chance to meet there / since no seaweed grows at all. This translates “mirume wa oinu” twice: no chance to meet / no seaweed grows. Not very poetic, I know, but it makes sense, since Lake Biwa is a freshwater lake. Perhaps the “sea” of “seaweed” could be worked into an expression playing on “see” one’s beloved. That would need a little more time …
Thanks – I have corrected the transcription error.