娘子らが玉櫛笥なる玉櫛の
神さびけむも妹に逢はずあれば
神さびけむも妹に逢はずあれば
- Roma-ji
-
Otomera ga tamakushige naru tamakushi no kamusabikemu mo imo ni awazu areba
- English Translation
-
As a maiden keeps
in her lovely comb-box there
a lovely jeweled comb,
I too must have grown so old,
since I have not met with you
- Meaning
- Like a lovely comb laid away in a maiden's jeweled comb-box, I must have grown old and worn, for I have not met you.
- Commentary
-
Book Four Love Poems 522
Headnote: "Three poems sent by Lord Fujiwara, Master of the Capital Office, to Ōtomo no Iratsume; the lord's personal name was Maro"
This is the first of three poems Fujiwara no Maro, head of the Capital Office, sent to Ōtomo no Iratsume (Lady Sakanoue). Just as a comb shut away unused in a maiden's comb-box grows old, he says, so he too must have grown old from not meeting her, pleading the long days they are apart. Its conceit, borrowing an object from a woman's daily life, is graceful.
The author, Fujiwara no Maro, was the fourth son of Fujiwara no Fuhito and founder of the Kyōke branch of the Fujiwara. Because he headed the Capital Office, the headnote calls him "Lord Fujiwara, Master of the Capital Office."
First line, "As a maiden keeps," turns the eye to a young woman's personal belongings.
Second line, "in her lovely comb-box there," names tamakushige, a graceful word for a box for combs; naru is a contraction of ni aru.
Third line, "a lovely jeweled comb," means a beautiful comb; the first three lines form a preface leading to kamusabu, "to grow old," and picture a comb put away and never used.
Fourth line, "I too must have grown so old," uses kamusabu, "to become old and worn," with the past conjectural kemu.
Fifth line, "since I have not met with you," runs to nine syllables, giving the reason he has grown old.
- Author
- Fujiwara no Maro
- Source
- Manyoshu
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Niwa ni tatsu asade karihoshi nuno sarasu azumaomina o wasuretamau na
- Next Poem
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Yoku wataru hito wa toshi ni mo ari to iu o itsu no ma ni zo mo aga koinikeru