A poem expressing the feelings of a guard upon the frontier, with tanka.
大君の 命畏み 妻別れ 悲しくはあれど 大夫の 心振り起し 取り裝ひ門出をすれば たらちねの 母掻き撫で 若草の 妻は取り付き 平らけく 我れは齋はむ ま幸くて 早歸り來と 眞袖もち 涙を拭ひ むせひつつ 言問ひすれば 群鳥の 出で立ちかてに とどこほり かへり見しつつ いや遠に 國を來離れ いや高に 山を越え過ぎ 葦が散る 難波に來居て 夕潮に 船を浮けすゑ 朝なぎに 舳向け漕がむと さもらふと 我が居る時に 春霞 島廻に立ちて 鶴が音の 悲しく鳴けば はろはろに 家を思ひ出 負ひ征矢の そよと鳴るまで 嘆きつるかも
opokimi nö mikötö kasikomi tuma wakare kanasiku pa aredö masurawo nö kökörö puriokösi toriyösöpi kadode wo sureba taratine nö papa kakinade wakakusa nö tuma pa torituki tapirakeku ware pa ipapamu masakikute paya kaperiko tö masode moti namida wo nögöpi musepitutu katarapi sureba muratöri nö idetatikate ni tödököpori kaperimisitutu iya töpo ni kuni wo kipanare iya taka ni yama wo kowsugi asi ga tiru nanipa ni kiwite yupu sipo ni pune wo ukesuwe asa nagi ni pe muke kögamu tö samorafu tö wa ga woru töki ni parugasumi simamï ni tatite tadu ga ne nö kanasiku nakeba paroparo ni ipe wo omopide opisöya nö so yo tö naru made nagëkituru ka mo |
My great lord Gave a dread command: So I parted from my wife, Though filled with sadness; And with a strong man’s Heart steeled myself – That’s what I showed – And when I left my gate, O’er flowing with love, My mother stroked my hair; And, as young grass, My wife held me close; “For you to be in peace, Will I pray, And safely, Quickly return to me,” she said, Her sleeves Wiping away her tears; Swallowing sobs As she spoke; So, like a flock of birds, I could not leave And did delay – Always looking back – Oh, how far Behind have I left my land; Oh, how high The mountains I have passed; Scattered with reeds To Naniwa I come, where On the evening tide Floats my ship; Where in the morning calm We will turn out the prow and row; Waiting quietly, While I am here, The spring haze Around the islands rises and The calls of the cranes Sound sadly; When my distant Home I recall, My bow case Rustling on my back, How I do grieve |