Tag Archives: Ōtomo no Tabito

MYS III: 343

なかなかに人とあらずは酒壺になりにてしかも酒に染みなむ

nakanaka ni
pitö tö arazu pa
sakatupo ni
narinitesi ka mo
sake ni siminamu

I’ll not be a man
At all:
A wine jar
I’ll become, maybe
And soak in wine.

言はむすべ爲むすべ知らず極まりて貴きものは酒にしあるらし

ipamu sube
semu sube sirazu
kipamarite
topotoki monö pa
sake niarurasi

What to say and
What to do: I know not.
The greatest
Most excellent thing
Is wine, I’d say.

賢しみと物言ふよりは酒飮みて醉ひ泣きするしまさりたるらし

sakasimi tö
monö ipu yori pa
sake nomite
weinaki suru si
masaritarurasi

Rather than
Speaking wise words,
Drinking wine,
Weeping drunkenly
That seems far better.

いにしへの七の賢しき人たちも欲りせしものは酒にしあるらし

inisipe nö
nana nö sakasiki
pitötati mo
porisesi monö pa
sake ni si arurasi

The ancient
Seven wise
Men too
Desired something:
It was wine, it seems.

酒の名を聖と負ほせしいにしへの大き聖の言の宣しさ

sake nö na wo
pidiri tö oposesi
inisipe nö
opoki pidiri nö
kötö nö yorosisa

Wine is wisdom
So said the sage,
The ancient
Great Sage
What an excellent word!

Thirteen poems in praise of sake, by the Governor-General of the Dazaifu, Lord Ōtomo.

驗なきものを思はずは一杯の濁れる酒を飮むべくあるらし

sirusi naki
monö wo omopazu pa
pitötsuki nö
nigoreru sake wo
nomubëku aru rasi

Insignificant things
Think of them not;
A single cup of
Cloudy wine…
That’s what you should drink.

Ōtomo no Tabito
大伴旅人