赤駒の越ゆる馬柵の標結ひし
妹が心は疑ひもなし
妹が心は疑ひもなし
- Roma-ji
-
Akagoma no koyuru umase no shime yuishi imo ga kokoro wa utagai mo nashi
- English Translation
-
Like the fence of posts
that the chestnut horse would leap,
with the marker tied,
you, my love, your heart I know,
there is no doubt of it at all
- Meaning
- Like the fence a chestnut horse would leap over, I have tied my marker firmly around you, and I have no doubt of your heart at all.
- Commentary
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Book Four Love Poems 530
Headnote: "A poem bestowed by the emperor on Princess Unakami; this is the emperor who ascended the throne at the Nara Palace"
Emperor Shōmu bestowed this poem on Princess Unakami. With the fence that a chestnut horse would leap as its preface, he declares that he has no doubt of the heart of one he has firmly claimed as his own, expressing his trust in her. The left note says the poem is an imitation of an old song, and that he probably bestowed it because it suited the occasion.
The author, Emperor Shōmu, reigned in the Nara period and was a son of Emperor Monmu. A devout patron of Buddhism, he vowed the building of the Great Buddha of Tōdaiji.
First line, "Like the fence of posts," means the chestnut horse, calling up a spirited horse eager to leap the fence.
Second line, "that the chestnut horse would leap," names umase, a fence penning horses; with the first line it forms a preface to "the marker tied."
Third line, "with the marker tied," names shime, a sign of possession; tying it means claiming someone as one's own.
Fourth line, "you, my love, your heart I know," takes up the heart of the one he has claimed.
Fifth line, "there is no doubt of it at all," declares his certainty of her heart.
- Author
- Emperor Shōmu
- Source
- Manyoshu
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Chidori naku saho no kawato no se o hiromi uchihashi watasu na ga ku to omoeba
- Next Poem
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Azusayumi tsumabiku yooto no tōto ni mo kimi ga miyuki o kikaku shi yoshi mo