泊瀬川流るる水沫の絶えばこそ
我が思ふ心遂げじと思はめ
我が思ふ心遂げじと思はめ
- Roma-ji
-
Hatsusegawa nagaruru minawa no taeba koso aga omou kokoro togeji to omowame
- English Translation
-
Hatsuse River—
should the foam that flows along
ever cease to be,
then might I think the heart I bear
would never find its way
- Meaning
- Only if the foam flowing on the Hatsuse River were ever to cease would I think that the love I hold could not be fulfilled.
- Commentary
-
Book Seven Allegorical Poems 1382
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Rivers"
The poet says that only if the foam on the Hatsuse River should ever cease would he think his love could not be fulfilled. By invoking the foam that never ceases, the poem expresses a firm resolve to carry his love through.
It is one of the poems "On Rivers." Where the preceding poem laments the depth of one's own love, this one declares the strong will to see it fulfilled. The poet is unknown.
The first line names the Hatsuse River, which flows through Hatsuse in Yamato.
The second line, "should the foam that flows along," has an extra syllable.
In the third line, "ever cease to be," the particle "koso" is answered by the perfective "me" in the final line.
The fourth line refers to the love the poet holds.
The final line closes the "koso ... me" construction, implying that since the foam never ceases, his love will surely be fulfilled.
- Source
- Manyoshu
- Prev Poem
-
Hirosegawa sode tsuku bakari asaki o ya kokoro fukamete waga omoeru ramu
- Next Poem
-
Nageki seba hito shirinubemi yamagawa no tagitsu kokoro o sekaete aru kamo