Man'yōshū MYS XII: 2985 26th June 2020 temca 2 Comments On thinking deep thoughts. 梓弓末はし知らずしかれどもまさかは君に寄りにしものを adusayumisuwe pasi sirazusikaredomomasaka pa kimi niyorinisi mono woA catalpa bow:The end, indeed, I know not,And yet, and yet,‘Tis you thatMy thoughts have ever dwelt upon… Anonymous
Is the first line a pun on 末・うら [for the tip of a bow] and 末・すえ [for the future]? There also seems to be an almost alliterative repetition of し. Reply
Yes, this is deliberate on the part of the poet. 末 could mean both the end/tip of an object, but also what is to come, so both meanings are present in the poem. Reply
Is the first line a pun on 末・うら [for the tip of a bow] and 末・すえ [for the future]?
There also seems to be an almost alliterative repetition of し.
Yes, this is deliberate on the part of the poet. 末 could mean both the end/tip of an object, but also what is to come, so both meanings are present in the poem.