Karu no ike no urami yukimiru kamo sura ni tamamo no ue ni hitori nenaku ni

軽の池の浦廻行き廻る鴨すらに
玉藻の上にひとり寝なくに

Roma-ji: Karu no ike no urami yukimiru kamo sura ni tamamo no ue ni hitori nenaku ni
English Translation: On the pond of Karu,
circling round its winding shores,
even the wild ducks
on the fine weed of the waters
never lie alone to sleep.
Meaning: Even the ducks that swim about the shores of Karu Pond never sleep alone upon the fine weed—yet I do.
Commentary: Book Three Allegorical Poems 390

Headnote: "A poem by Princess Ki"
This poem belongs to the section of Allegorical Poems in Book Three. It stands at the head of the Allegorical Poems of Book Three. Even the ducks of Karu Pond sleep with their mates on the fine weed, while she sleeps alone—a lament of lonely love entrusted to the ducks. The contrast between the intimacy of paired ducks and her solitary sleep is poignant. Karu Pond lay at Karu in Yamato, near present-day Ōkaru-chō in Kashihara, Nara.
The poet, Princess Ki, was a daughter of Emperor Tenmu; her mother was Ōnu no Iratsume, a daughter of Soga no Akae. She was the full younger sister of Prince Hozumi.

First line "On the pond of Karu": a pond at Karu in Yamato; the line has one syllable too many.
Second line "circling round its winding shores": urami is the curving shore, and miru means to go around.
Third line "even the wild ducks": sura means "even," setting the standard of comparison.
Fourth line "on the fine weed of the waters": tamamo is lovely waterweed, the ducks' bed.
Fifth line "never lie alone to sleep": nakuni ends with a sigh—"they never sleep alone, and yet I," lamenting her own loneliness.
Author: Princess Ki
Source: Manyoshu
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