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- Manyoshu
Kazuki suru ama wa noredomo watatsumi no kokoro shi eneba miyu to iwanaku ni
The diving fisherman may voice his prayers, but since he cannot win the sea god's heart, no one can say that the pearl will come into view.
Amakumo no tanabiku yama no komoritaru aga shitagokoro ko no ha shiruramu
Like the mountain hidden where the clouds of heaven trail, the secret heart I keep concealed—surely the leaves of the trees must know it.
Miredo akanu hitokuniyama no ko no ha o shi waga kokoro kara natsukashimi omou
The leaves on Mount Hitokuni, which I never tire of gazing on—from the depths of my own heart I hold them dear.
Kono yama no momichi ga shita no hana o ware hatsuhatsu ni mite nao koinikeri
I caught only the faintest glimpse of the flower beneath the yellow leaves on this mountain—and yet my longing has grown all the stronger.
Kono kawa yu fune wa yukubeku ari to iedo watarize goto ni moru hito no arite
They say a boat could pass along this river—yet at every ford there are people keeping watch.
Ōumi o samorau minato koto shi araba izue yu kimi wa wa o ishinogamu
In the harbor where the ships wait, watching the great sea—if trouble should come, by what way would you take me with you and bring me through it?
Kaze fukite umi wa aru tomo asu to iwaba hisashiku arubeshi kimi ga manimani
Though the wind blows and the sea runs rough, if you say "tomorrow," the wait will be long—so let it be as you wish.
Kumogakuru kojima no kami no kashikokeba me koso hedatere kokoro hedate ya
Because the god of the little isle hidden in the clouds fills me with awe, we are kept from each other's sight—but are our hearts kept apart?
Tsurubami no kinu wa hito mina kotonashi to iishi toki yori kihoshiku omōyu
Ever since everyone said that an acorn-dyed robe brings no trouble, I have found myself longing to wear one.
Ōroka ni ware shi omowaba shita ni kite narenishi kinu o torite kime ya mo
If my love were only careless, would I take out the robe I have worn beneath, grown soft with wearing, and put it on? Never.
Kurenai no kozome no koromo shita ni kite ue ni toriki ba koto nasamu kamo
The robe dyed deep crimson I have worn beneath my clothes—if I took it and wore it on top, would people start to talk?
Tsurubami no tokiaraiginu no ayashiku mo koto ni kihoshiki kono yūbe kamo
The acorn-dyed robe, unstitched and washed anew—strange to say, how I long to wear it most of all this evening.
Tachibana no shima ni shi oreba kawa tōmi sarasazu nuishi aga shitagoromo
Living at Tachibana no Shima, far from the river, I sewed my undergarment without bleaching the cloth.
Kawachime no tezome no ito o kurikaeshi kataito ni aredo taemu to omoe ya
Like the thread a Kawachi woman dyes by hand and reels again and again, I think of you again and again—though mine is but a single strand, do I ever think that it will break?
Wata no soko shizuku shiratama kaze fukite umi wa aru tomo torazu wa yamaji
The white pearl lying on the ocean floor—though the wind blows and the sea runs wild, I will not stop until I have taken it.
Soko kiyomi shizukeru tama o mimaku hori chitabi zo norishi kazuki suru ama
The water is so clear that the pearl lies there to be seen—wishing to look on it, a thousand times I have begged the fisherman who dives.