Chihayaburu kami no yashiro ni waga kakeshi nusa wa tabaramu imo ni awanaku ni

ちはやぶる神の社に我が懸けし
幣は賜らむ妹に逢はなくに

Roma-ji: Chihayaburu kami no yashiro ni waga kakeshi nusa wa tabaramu imo ni awanaku ni
English Translation: Mighty, awesome gods,
at your shrine the offerings
I hung up for you,
give them back to me, I say,
since I have not met my love
Meaning: The offerings I hung at the shrine of the mighty gods, give them back to me, since I still have not met my beloved.
Commentary: Book Four Love Poems 558

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Two poems composed by Haji no Sukune Mimichi on the sea route from Tsukushi up to the capital"
Having offered strips of hemp at a shrine to pray for a safe journey and reunion with his love, the poet playfully demands them back, since he still has not met her. It is a witty poem that boldly complains to the god of an unanswered prayer. Following the preceding poem's readiness to risk his life, here he turns his lover's grievance even upon the gods.
The author, Haji no Mimichi, appears to have been an official who served at the Dazaifu, and he composed this poem while returning from Tsukushi to the capital.

First line, "Mighty, awesome gods," is chihayaburu, a pillow word for "god," taken to mean fierce in power.
Second line, "at your shrine the offerings," names the shrine where a god is worshiped.
Third line, "I hung up for you," means that I offered, hanging the offerings before the god in prayer.
Fourth line, "give them back to me, I say," names nusa, offerings of hemp or paper, with tabaramu, "I would have them returned." The poem breaks after this line.
Fifth line, "since I have not met my love," gives by inversion the reason for his demand.
Author: Haji no Mimichi
Source: Manyoshu
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