MYS XVIII: 4111

かけまくも あやに畏し 天皇の 神の大御代に 田道間守 常世に渡り 八桙持ち 参ゐ出来し時 時じくの かくの木の実を 畏くも 残したまへれ 国も狭に 生ひ立ち栄え 春されば 孫枝萌いつつ 霍公鳥 鳴く五月には 初花を 枝に手折りて 娘子らに つとにも遣りみ 白栲の 袖にも扱入れ かぐはしみ 置きて枯らしみ あゆる実は 玉に貫きつつ 手に巻きて 見れども飽かず 秋づけば しぐれの雨降り あしひきの 山の木末は 紅に にほひ散れども 橘の なれるその実は ひた照りに いや見が欲しく み雪降る 冬に至れば 霜置けども その葉も枯れず 常磐なす いやさかはえに しかれこそ 神の御代より よろしなへ この橘を 時じくの かくの木の実と 名付けけらしも

kakemaku mo
aya ni kashikosi
sumeroki no
kami no opomiyo ni
tadimamori
tokoyo ni watari
ya poko moti
mawidekosi toki
toki ziku no
kaku ko no mi wo
kasikoku mo
nokositamaere
kuni mo se ni
owitatisakape
paru sareba
pikoe moitutu
pototogisu
naku satuki ni pa
patu pana wo
eda ni taworite
wotomera ni
tuto ni mo yarimi
sirotape no
sode ni mo kokire
kagu pasimi
wokite karasimi
ayuru mi pa
tama ni nukitutu
te ni makite
miredomo akazu
akizukeba
sigure no amepuri
asipiki no
yama no konure pa
kurenawi ni
nipopi tiredomo
tatibana no
nareru sono mi pa
pitatere ni
iya migaposiku
miyuki puru
puyu ni itareba
simo wokedomo
sono pa mo karezu
tokipa nasu
iya sakapape ni
sikare koso
kami no miyo yori
yorosinape
kono tatibana wo
toki ziku no
kaku no ko no mi to
nadukekerasi mo
Even giving voice
Fills me with awe:
In the emperor’s
Divine past ages,
Tajimamori
Crossed to the land of everlasting life;
Eight spears in hand,
When he did return
Untouched by time
These fragrant trees’ fruit
With awe
Did he leave for us.
All throughout the land
Do they grow and flourish, and
When the spring does come,
From fresh branches stretching out,
The cuckoo
Calls in the Fifth Month;
The first blooms
From the branches I take by hand, and
To the maidens
I present them;
Into their white-mulberry
Sleeves they thrust them;
The fragrance sinks
And lies there unfading;
Fallen fruit as
Gems I thread,
Wound about my hand
I gaze upon them, yet can never get my fill;
With autumn’s advent
Rain showers fall, and
Leg-wearying
Moutain treetops turn
To scarlet
Glowing and scattering, yet
The orange
Ripened fruit
Gleams
Ever attracting the eye;
When snow falls
And winter comes,
Frost wraps them, yet
Their leaves remain unwithered,
Ever
Freshly flourishing,
And thus,
From the Age of Gods
Behold,
The orange
Eternally
Fragranced fruit
Has been called!

Ōtomo no Yakamochi

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