今日もかも沖つ玉藻は白波の
八重をるが上に乱れてあるらむ
八重をるが上に乱れてあるらむ
- Roma-ji
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Kyō mo kamo okitsu tamamo wa shiranami no yae oru ga ue ni midarete aru ramu
- English Translation
-
Today again, perhaps,
the jewel-weed far out at sea
upon the white waves,
where they fold in eightfold crests,
lies tossing in disarray
- Meaning
- Is the lovely seaweed far out at sea tossing again today on the white waves that break in eightfold folds?
- Commentary
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Book Seven Miscellaneous Poems 1168
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on Journeys"
The poet imagines the lovely seaweed offshore, tossing again today on the white waves folded eightfold. Picturing in his mind the offshore scene he can no longer see, he expresses his feeling for the beauty of the sea.
It shares wording with poem 1155 in this book, "The lingering waves of dawn on the sea of Nago—today again are they tossing along the rocky bay?" and imagines the seaside scene in the same pattern. The poet is unknown.
The first line, "Today again, perhaps," uses the questioning "kamo," answered by "ramu" in the final line; the same words form the third line of poem 1155.
The second line refers to the lovely seaweed far out at sea.
The third line, "upon the white waves," introduces the breakers.
In the fourth line, "yae oru" means the waves folding over one another many times; the line has an extra syllable.
The final line, "lies tossing in disarray," is the same as the last line of poem 1155.
- Source
- Manyoshu
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