Omoi amari ita mo sube nami tamadasuki unebi no yama ni ware shime yuitsu

思ひあまりいたもすべなみ玉たすき
畝傍の山に我れ標結ひつ

Roma-ji: Omoi amari ita mo sube nami tamadasuki unebi no yama ni ware shime yuitsu
English Translation: Love overflowing,
helpless, with no way at all—
as a sash is slung,
on the mount of Unebi
I have tied my sacred rope
Meaning: My longing overflowing, utterly at a loss, I have tied my marking rope on Mount Unebi.
Commentary: Book Seven Allegorical Poems 1335

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Mountains"
Overwhelmed by longing and at a loss, the poet has tied his marking rope on Mount Unebi. The mountain stands for a sacred, unapproachable woman and tying the rope for claiming her as his own; the poem shows a heart that has gone beyond awe to fulfill its love.
It is the last of the five poems on mountains. Where poems 1331 and 1334 lament love for one held in awe, this poem says he has at last tied his rope, bringing the group to a close. The conceit of tying a marking rope also appears in poem 1252 in this book. The poet is unknown.

The first line, "Love overflowing," means feelings too great to contain.
In the second line, "helpless, with no way at all," "mi" gives the cause.
The third line, "as a sash is slung," is a pillow word "tamadasuki" for Unebi, from the sound of "unaji" (nape), where a sash is hung.
The fourth line, "on the mount of Unebi," names one of the Three Mountains of Yamato, a sacred peak standing for an unapproachable woman.
The final line, "I have tied my sacred rope," uses "shime yuu," marking something as one's own, the same word as in the last line of poem 1252 in this book.
Source: Manyoshu
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