三島江の玉江の薦を標めしより
己がとぞ思ふいまだ刈らねど
己がとぞ思ふいまだ刈らねど
- Roma-ji
-
Mishimae no tamae no komo o shimeshi yori onoga to zo omou imada karanedo
- English Translation
-
At Mishima Bay
the wild rice of Tamae—
since I staked my claim
I have thought of it as mine,
though I have not cut it yet
- Meaning
- Ever since I staked my claim to the wild rice of Tamae in Mishima Bay, I have thought of it as mine—though I have not yet cut it.
- Commentary
-
Book Seven Allegorical Poems 1348
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Grasses"
Ever since he roped off the wild rice of Tamae in Mishima Bay, the speaker has thought of it as his own, though he has not yet cut it. The wild rice stands for the woman he loves, roping it off for betrothal, and cutting it for union, expressing that though they are not yet together he already regards her as his wife.
It is one of the poems on grasses. It shares the word "shimeshi" (claimed) with the preceding poem, 1347; where that poem asks others not to cut the grass, this one has already settled that it is his, and the two correspond. Mishima Bay was an inlet along the Yodo River in Settsu. The poet is unknown.
The first line, "At Mishima Bay," names the inlet in Settsu.
The second line refers to the wild rice of Tamae, the "jewel inlet"; "tama" is a word of praise.
The third line, "since I staked my claim," uses the same word as the third line of the preceding poem.
The fourth line, "I have thought of it as mine," is a kakari-musubi construction in which "zo" is answered by the attributive "omou," and the poem pauses here.
The final line, "though I have not cut it yet," is inverted with the fourth.
- Source
- Manyoshu
- Prev Poem
-
Kimi ni niru kusa to mishi yori waga shimeshi noyama no asaji hito na kari so ne
- Next Poem
-
Kaku shite ya nao ya oinamu miyuki furu ōarakino no shino ni aranaku ni