直に逢はずあらくも多く敷栲の
枕去らずて夢にし見えむ
枕去らずて夢にし見えむ
- Roma-ji
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Tada ni awazu araku mo ōku shikitae no makura sarazute ime ni shi miemu
- English Translation
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Not meeting face to face,
many are the days gone by;
by your spread-cloth bed,
never leaving your pillow,
in your dreams I shall appear
- Meaning
- So many days have passed without our meeting face to face; I will not leave your pillow, but will surely come to you in your dreams.
- Commentary
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Book Five Miscellaneous Poems 809
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Two poems in reply"
Since days without meeting have piled up, the speaker promises to appear in dreams, never leaving the pillow. Answering Tabito's wish in 807 to be visited in dreams, the reply offers to come into them.
This reply came from the capital; the author's name is not recorded and is unknown. It is thought to have been sent back by the acquaintance in the capital who received Tabito's letter and poems.
First line, "tada ni awazu": not meeting in person. The line has six syllables, one more than the norm.
Second line, "araku mo ōku": "araku" means "being so," that is, the many days spent apart.
Third line, "shikitae no": a pillow word for pillow.
Fourth line, "makura sarazute": never leaving the pillow's side, visiting every night without fail.
Fifth line, "ime ni shi miemu": "shi" is emphatic and "mu" expresses intent, a promise to appear in dreams. It pairs with the original's wish "appear to me again and again" by answering with the will to appear.
- Source
- Manyoshu
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