classic waka stream

天地の神も助けよ草枕
旅行く君が家にいたるまで
Roma-ji

Ametsuchi no kami mo tasukeyo kusamakura tabiyuku kimi ga ie ni itaru made

English Translation
Gods of heaven and earth,
grant your help to him, I pray,
pillowed on the grass,
as my lord goes on his way,
until he reaches home
Meaning
Gods of heaven and earth, grant your help to my lord as he travels, until he reaches his home.
Commentary
Book Four Love Poems 549

Headnote: "Three poems at the farewell banquet held at the Ashiki post station in Chikuzen for Ishikawa no Asomi Tarihito, Junior Assistant Governor-General of the Dazaifu, on his transfer, in the fifth year (the year tsuchinoe-tatsu)"
In the fifth year of Jinki, when Ishikawa no Tarihito, Junior Assistant Governor-General of the Dazaifu, was transferred to another post, a farewell banquet was held at the Ashiki post station in Chikuzen; this is the first of three poems from that occasion. It prays to the gods of heaven and earth to guard the traveler until he safely reaches home, a simple and earnest prayer for a safe journey.
The left note says "the authors of the above three poems are unknown," and no name has come down. The poem was presumably composed at the banquet by one of the Dazaifu officials.

First line, "Gods of heaven and earth," names the gods of heaven and the gods of earth, that is, all the gods.
Second line, "grant your help to him, I pray," uses the imperative to voice a prayer: gods, help him. The poem breaks after this line.
Third line, "pillowed on the grass," is kusamakura, a pillow word for "journey," from binding grass as a pillow when sleeping on the road.
Fourth line, "as my lord goes on his way," means you who travel on.
Fifth line, "until he reaches home," runs to eight syllables and, by inversion, names last how long the gods' protection is asked.
Source
Manyoshu
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