玉櫛笥みもろと山を行きしかば
おもしろくしていにしへ思ほゆ
おもしろくしていにしへ思ほゆ
- Roma-ji
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Tamakushige mimoroto yama o yukishikaba omoshiroku shite inishie omōyu
- English Translation
-
Like a jeweled comb box,
Mimoroto Mountain
when I passed across,
so lovely was the view
I thought of ancient times
- Meaning
- When I traveled over Mount Mimoroto, the scenery was so lovely that my thoughts turned to the ancient past.
- Commentary
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Book Seven Miscellaneous Poems 1240
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on Journeys"
Crossing Mount Mimoroto, the poet finds the scenery so delightful that his thoughts turn to the ancient age of the gods. Encountering the charm of a sacred mountain, he is stirred to thoughts of the distant past.
It is regarded as coming from the Old Collection. Mount Mimoroto is a mountain where a god descends, thought to be Mount Miwa. Mount Miwa also appears in poems 1093 to 1095 in this book. The poet is unknown.
The first line uses "tamakushige," a fine comb box, as a pillow word for "mimoro," through the sound "mi" (the body of the box).
The second line, "Mimoroto Mountain," means a mountain where a god dwells, thought to be Mount Miwa.
The third line, "when I passed across," is a conditional of fact.
The fourth line, "so lovely was the view," praises the scenery.
The final line, "I thought of ancient times," has an extra syllable.
- Source
- Manyoshu
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Ōumi no isomoto yusuri tatsu nami no yosemu to omoeru hama no kiyokeku
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Nubatama no kurokamiyama o asa koete yamashitatsuyu ni nurenikeru kamo