When she had gone to someone’s house, saying that she was under a directional taboo, she had the son of the master of the house bring her something with cloves in, and when the boy’s father was roused:
あけてみるかひもあるかなたまくしげふたみのうらによするしらなみ
| akete miru kaFi mo aru kana tamakusige Futami no ura ni yosuru siranami | Opening to see: There is a point to it! A jewelled comb-box Lid—at Futami Bay Breaking whitecaps. |
When he had gone to a hot spring in Tajima province, he stayed in a place called Futami Bay and, while eating their evening meal, his companions were composing poetry, so he composed.
ゆふづくよおぼつかなきを玉匣ふたみの浦は曙てこそ見め
| yuFudukuyo obotukanaki wo tamakusige Futami no ura Fa akete koso mime | On an early moonlit evening How difficult to see A jewelled comb box— Lid lifted once more Futami Bay I’ll see with the dawn! |
Fujiwara no Kanesuke
玉くしげはこねのやまの郭公むかふのさとに朝な朝ななく
| tamakushige hakone no yama no hototogisu mukau no sato ni asana asana naku | A jewelled comb On Hakone Mountain A cuckoo In that paradise Cries with every morn.[i] |
[ii] This poem is inspired by: 心乎之 無何有乃郷尓 置而有者 藐孤射能山乎 見末久知香谿務 kokoro oshi / mukau no sato ni / okite araba / bakoya no yama o / mimaku chikakemu ‘My heart / In paradise / Should I leave behind, then / Mount Miaogushe / Would I soon come to see.’ Anonymous (MYS XVI: 3851). The Man’yō poem refers to Mount Bakoya (C. Miaogushe), a legendary Chinese mountain where immortals were said to dwell, and Sanetomo’s reference to Hakone echoes this due to the partial homophony between the place names.
Left
たまくしげ二上山のほととぎす今ぞあけくれなきわたるなる
| tamakushige futakamiyama no hototogisu ima zo akekure nakiwataru naru | On the jewelled comb of Futakami Mountain The cuckoos Now, indeed, both night and day Do fill with their constant song. |
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Right
時鳥のちのさ月もありとてやながくうづきをすぐしはてつる
| hototogisu nochi no satsuki mo ari tote ya nagaku uzuki o sugushihatetsuru | O, cuckoo! A further Fifth Month There is, so Leisurely, the Fourth Month Have you completely spent? |
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