飛騨人の真木流すといふ丹生の川
言は通へど舟ぞ通はぬ
言は通へど舟ぞ通はぬ
- Roma-ji
-
Hidabito no maki nagasu to iu nifu no kawa koto wa kayoedo fune zo kayowanu
- English Translation
-
The Hida people
float their cedar logs, they say,
down the Nifu River—
words may pass from bank to bank,
but no boat can cross it
- Meaning
- On the Nifu River, where they say the men of Hida float their fine timber, words can pass from bank to bank, but no boat can go across.
- Commentary
-
Book Seven Miscellaneous Poems 1173
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on Journeys"
The Nifu River, where the people of Hida are said to float their timber, is a torrent: words may reach the far bank, but no boat can cross. It may also be read as a figure for the obstacles of love, where messages can be exchanged but the lovers cannot meet.
It is one of the poems composed on journeys; the Nifu River in Hida was used to float timber downstream. It is regarded as a folk-song-like poem. The poet is unknown.
The first line, "The Hida people," refers to the people of Hida Province, famed for their woodworking.
The second line, "float their cedar logs, they say," has an extra syllable.
The third line names the Nifu River in Hida.
The fourth line, "words may pass from bank to bank," is concessive.
The final line, "but no boat can cross it," is a kakari-musubi construction in which "zo" is answered by the attributive "nu." "Words" in the fourth line are set against "boat" in the last.
- Source
- Manyoshu
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