大船に真楫しじ貫き大君の
命畏み磯廻するかも
命畏み磯廻するかも
- Roma-ji
-
Ōbune ni makaji shiji nuki ōkimi no mikoto kashikomi isomi suru kamo
- English Translation
-
In a mighty ship,
with oars set thick on both sides,
our great sovereign's
command I revere, and so
round the rocky shores I go.
- Meaning
- With oars set thick along both sides of a great ship, in reverence for my sovereign's command, I make my way along the rocky shores.
- Commentary
-
Book Three Miscellaneous Poems 368
Headnote: "A poem by Master Isonokami"
A poem of a sea voyage to a post under imperial command. With many oars fixed to a great ship, receiving the Emperor's order with reverence, he makes his way along the rocky shores—expressing the weight of an official's duty and the hardships of travel. A left note suggests that, since Isonokami no Ason Otomaro was appointed Governor of Echizen, this Master may be he. The next poem answers this one.
There is no settled view on who "Master Isonokami" was. Taifu was an honorific for officials of the fourth and fifth ranks, and the left note conjectures that he was Isonokami no Otomaro, appointed Governor of Echizen.
First line "In a mighty ship" means a large vessel.
Second line "with oars set thick on both sides": makaji are oars on both sides of the ship, shiji means many, and nuku to fit them.
Third line "our great sovereign's" refers to the Emperor.
Fourth line "command I revere" means respectfully obeying the imperial order.
Fifth line "round the rocky shores I go": isomi means rowing along the rocky coast, and kamo expresses feeling, ending with thoughts of the toil of duty.
- Author
- Master Isonokami
- Source
- Manyoshu
- Prev Poem
-
Koshi no umi no Tayui ga ura o tabi ni shite mireba tomoshimi Yamato shinoitsu
- Next Poem
-
Mononofu no omi no otoko wa ōkimi no make no manimani kiku to iu mono zo