あづまぢのさやの中山こえていなばいとど都やとほざかりなん
| azumaji no saya no nakayama koete inaba itodo miyako ya tōzakarinan | Upon eastland roads lies Saya-no-Nakayama: When I pass across it How much the capital Seems further away…[i] |
569
[i] See: 安都麻道乃 手児乃欲婢佐可 古要弖伊奈婆 安礼波古非牟奈 能知波安比奴登母 azumaji no/ tego no yobisaka / koete inaba / are wa koinamu na / nochi wa ainuru tomo ‘On eastland roads lies / Tego-no-Yobisaka: / When I pass across it, / How filled am I with yearning, / Even should we meet once more…’ (Man’yōshū XIV: 3477)
旅ねするいせの浜をぎつゆながらむすぶ枕にやどる月かげ
| tabinesuru ise no hamaogi tsuyu nagara musubu makura ni yadoru tsukikage | Sleeping on my travels, with Cogon grass from the shore at Ise, Dew covered, Woven for my pillow, Moonlight’s lodging.[i] |
568
[i] See: 神風之 伊勢乃浜荻 折伏 客宿也将為 荒浜辺尓 kamukaze no/ ise no hamaogi / orifusete / tabine ya suramu / araki hamabe ni ‘Divine winds blow / Cogon grass on the shore at Ise / I weave and lay me down— / Should I doze upon my travels? / On this wild beachside…’ (Man’yōshū IV: 500).
草まくら旅にしあればかりこものおもひみだれていこそねられね
| kusamakura tabi ni shi areba karikomo no omoimidarete i koso nerarene | A pillow of grass I have on my travels, and Reaped wild rice My thoughts are scattered, Unable ever to sleep![i] |
566
[i] See: Topic unknown. かりこもの思ひみだれて我こふといもしるらめや人しつげずは karikomo no/ omoimidarete / ware kou to / imo shirurame ya / hito shi tsugezu wa ‘As cut wild-rice / Are my scattered thoughts: / That I do love her, / I wonder, can she know, / With no one to tell her?’ Anonymous (Kokinshū XI: 485)
草枕たびにしあればいもにこひさむるまをなみ夢さへみえず
| kusamakura tabi ni shi areba imo ni koi samuru ma o nami yume sae miezu | A pillow of grass I have on my travels, so Yearning for my darling I lie awake, not even Glimpsing her within a dream.[i] |
565
[i] See: 家有者 笥尓盛飯乎 草枕 旅尓之有者 椎之葉尓盛 ie ni areba/ ke ni moru ii o / kusamakura / tabi ni shi areba / shii no ha ni moru ‘When I am at home / The pots are full of rice, but / Pillowed on the grass / On this journey now / Only the chinquapin leaves are plentiful…’ Prince Arima (Man’yōshū II: 142)
Sent to his Junior Consort when she was away from the palace.
たまぼこのみちははるかにあらねどもうたてくもゐにまどふころかな
| tamaboko no michi wa haruka ni aranedomo utate kumoi ni madou koro kana | Down a jewelled-spear straight Road’s distance You are not, yet Somehow, among the clouds, extremely Lost am I, these days! |
Former Emperor Suzaku
On the conception of travel
玉ぼこの道はとほくもあらなくに旅としおもへばわびしかりけり
| tamaboko no michi wa tōku mo aranaku ni tabi to shi omoeba wabishikarikeri | The jewelled-spear straight Road distant Is not, but even so, When I think of travelling How desolate I am! [i] |
564
[i] See: Sent to his Junior Consort when she was away from the palace. たまぼこのみちははるかにあらねどもうたてくもゐにまどふころかな tamaboko no/ michi wa haruka ni / aranedomo / utate kumoi ni / madou koro kana ‘Down a jewelled-spear straight / Road’s distance / You are not, yet / Somehow, among the clouds, extremely / Lost am I, these days!’ Former Emperor Suzaku (Shinkokinshū XIV: 1248)
When the heart of a woman whom he had been visiting frequently showed no sign of melting, he sent this to her to say that months and years had passed and they were still in such a state.
なにはがたみぎはのあしのおいがよに怨みてぞふる人の心を
| naniFagata migiFa no asi no oFi ga yo ni uramite zo Furu Fito no kokoro wo | In Naniwa’s tidelands By the waterside the reeds Growing old within this world How I despise the passing time– And your hard heart… |
Anonymous
