人言を繁み言痛みおのが世に
いまだ渡らぬ朝川渡る
いまだ渡らぬ朝川渡る
- Roma-ji
-
Hitogoto o shigemi kochitami ono ga yo ni imada wataranu asakawa wataru
- English Translation
-
Because the gossip
of people is so thick and loud,
this morning I cross
a river that in all my life
I never have crossed before.
- Meaning
- Because people's gossip is so thick and so hard to bear, I am crossing this morning a river I have never crossed in all my life.
- Commentary
-
Book Two Love Poems 116
Headnote: "A poem composed by Princess Tajima when, while living in the palace of Prince Takechi, she had secretly met Prince Hozumi and the affair had come to light"
With her secret love exposed and gossip spreading, she describes a decisive act: crossing a morning river she has never crossed before.
According to the headnote, Princess Tajima composed this after she had secretly joined with Prince Hozumi while living in Prince Takechi's palace, and the affair had come to light. The image of a princess wading a cold morning river is famous as an expression of her resolve to live for love.
The author, Princess Tajima, was a daughter of Emperor Tenmu; her mother was Hikami no Iratsume, a daughter of Fujiwara no Kamatari. She lived in the palace of her half-brother Prince Takechi, yet fell in love with another half-brother, Prince Hozumi.
The first line, "hitogoto o," means "people's talk."
The second line, "shigemi kochitami," uses the o ... mi construction to give a cause: because the gossip is thick and hard to bear.
The third line, "ono ga yo ni," means "in my own lifetime."
The fourth line, "imada wataranu," means "never yet crossed," showing that this is an unprecedented act for a princess.
The final line, "asakawa wataru," means crossing a cold river in the morning, understood as going to or returning from her lover's side while avoiding notice. The repetition of wataranu and wataru strengthens her resolve. It contrasts with "se wa watarazute" in 130 by Prince Naga in this book, setting the one who crosses against the one who does not.
- Author
- Princess Tajima
- Source
- Manyoshu
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