玉の緒をあわをによりて結べれば
絶えてののちもあはむとぞ思ふ
絶えてののちもあはむとぞ思ふ
- Roma-ji
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Tama no o o awao ni yorite musubereba
taete no nochi mo awamu to zo omou - English Translation
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The cord of the jewels,
twisted of many strands
and firmly knotted—
though it should once be severed,
still I think we shall meet again.
- Meaning
- The cord on which the jewels are strung is twisted of many strands and tied fast; even if it should be cut, I believe we shall surely be joined again.
- Commentary
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Episode Thirty-Five: "The cord of the jewels"
Long ago, a man sent this poem to a woman from whom he had been parted against his will, not by his own desire.
He likens their broken relationship to the cord on which jewels are strung.
It is not a frail string from which the jewels would scatter and be lost once cut, but a cord twisted firm, which may be joined again; so too, he implies, they will be together once more.
A similar poem appears in Book Four of the Man'yoshu.
- Source
- Ise Monogatari
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Ieba e ni iwaneba mune ni sawagarete
kokoro hitotsu ni nageku koro kana - Next Poem
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Tani sebami mine made haeru tamakazura
taemu to hito ni waga omowanaku ni