Tag Archives: Mt Fuji

MYS III: 319

A poem on Mount Fuji, with tanka.

なまよみの 甲斐の國 うち寄する 駿河の國と こちごちの 國のみ中ゆ 出で立てる 富士の高嶺は 天雲も い行きはばかり 飛ぶ鳥も 飛びも上らず 燃ゆる火を 雪もて消ち 降る雪を 火もて消ちつつ 言ひも得ず 名付けも知らず くすしくも います神かも せの海と 名付けてあるも その山の つつめる海ぞ 富士川と 人の渡るも その山の 水のたぎちぞ 日の本の 大和の國の 鎭めとも います神かも 寶とも なれる山かも 駿河なる 富士の高嶺は 見れど飽かぬかも

namayomi nö
kapi nö kuni
utiyösuru
suruga nö kuni tö
kötigöti nö
kuni nö minaka yu
idetateru
pudi nö takane pa
amakumo mo
iyuki pabakari
tobu töri mo
tobi mo noborazu
moyuru pï mo
yuki mote keti
puru yuki wo
pï mote ketitutu
ipi mo izu
naduke mo sirazu
kususiku mo
imasu kamï ka mo
se nö umi tö
nadukete aru mo
sono yama nö
tutumeru umi zö
pudigapa tö
pitö nö wataru mo
sono yama nö
midu nö tagiti zö
pi nö motö nö
yamatö nö kuni no
sidume tömo
imasu kamï ka mo
takara tö mo
nareru yama ka mo
suruga naru
pudi nö takane pa
miredö akanu ka mo
By
The land of Kai and
The wave-washed
Land of Suruga
Around about
Lie the lands and in their midst
Rises up
The peak of Fuji:
Heaven’s clouds
Halt in their course, and
Winging birds, as well
Will not fly atop it;
Its burning fire
Is quenched with snow, and
Falling snow
Dissolves in fire;
No words can tell,
I know not how to name
The mystery
Of this living God;
The Barnacle Sea
Or so is named,
The mountain’s
Embraced waters;
“The Fuji River” they say,
As men cross,
The mountain’s
Foaming torrents;
Source of the sun,
The land of Yamato
Is warded by
The living God;
A treasure
Is the mountain,
In Suruga
The high peak of Fuji:
I gaze on it, yet am never sated by the sight.

Takahashi no Mushimaro (active 720s – 730s)
高橋虫麻呂