A poem composed by Lord Kakinomoto no Hitomaro on seeing a dead man among the rocks of Samine Island in Sanuki Province.
玉藻よし 讚岐の國は 國柄か 見れども飽かぬ 神柄か ここだ貴き 天地 日月とともに 滿りゆかむ 神の御面と 繼ぎて來る 中の水門ゆ 船浮けて わが漕ぎ來れば 時つ風 雲居に吹くに 沖見れば とゐ波立ち 邊見れば 白波さわく 鯨魚取り 海を恐み 行く船の 梶引き折りて をちこちの 島は多けど 名くはし 狹岑の島の 荒磯面に いほりて見れば 波の音の 繁き濱べを 敷たへの 枕になして 荒床に 自伏す君が 家知らば 行きても告けむ 妻知らば 來も問はましを 玉桙の 道だに知らず おぼぼしく 待ちか戀ふらむ 愛しき妻らは
tamamo yosi sanuki nö kuni pa kunikara ka miredömo akanu kamukara ka kököda taputoki amëtuti pitukï tö tömo ni tariyukamu kamï nö miomo tö tugitekuru naka nö minato yu pune ukete wa ga kögikureba töki tu kaze kumowi ni saku ni oki mireba töwinami tati pe mireba siranami sawaku izana töri umi wo kasikomi yuku pune nö kadi pikiworite wotiköti nö sima pa opokedö na kupasi samine nö sima nö arisomo ni iporite mireba nami nö to nö sigeki pamabe wo sikitapë nö makura ni nasite aradökö ni koropusu kimi ga ipe siraba yukitemo tukemu tuma siraba ki mo topamasi wo tamapokö nö miti dani sirazu obobosiku mati ka kopuramu pasiku tumara pa |
Jewelled seaweed, Province of Sanuki: Is it your nature that The sight of you will never sate? Is it that your guardian god Is paramount? With heaven and earth, And sun and moon, May you endure. Toward one divine face, We continue on our journey, Out the rivermouth at Naka, Floating in our boat. As we come rowing, The seasonal wind Blows from the distant sky; From offshore, I see The crashing breakers; I see the coast, Among the roaring white caps; Hunting whales The sea, I fear it. Our bobbing boat, Warps its oars. All around There are many islands, yet On the famous Isle of Samine, On the rocky, wave-wracked sea coast We make landfall and see Among the waves’ sound Ever on the seashore, A folded mulberry-cloth Pillow have you made, On a rough and rocky bed You lay down: If I knew your home I would go and tell them; If your wife knew She would come inquiring; Jeweled spear straight Your path, though she knows it not; Worriedly, Is she waiting, loving you That darling wife of yours |