水霧らふ沖つ小島に風をいたみ
舟寄せかねつ心は思へど
舟寄せかねつ心は思へど
- Roma-ji
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Minagirau okitsu kojima ni kaze o itami fune yosekanetsu kokoro wa omoedo
- English Translation
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To the little isle
offshore in the misting spray,
the wind is so strong
I cannot bring my boat in,
though my heart longs to be there
- Meaning
- To the little island offshore, veiled in misting spray, the wind blows so hard that I cannot bring my boat in—though in my heart I long to.
- Commentary
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Book Seven Allegorical Poems 1401
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Boats"
The wind is so fierce that the poet cannot bring his boat in to the small island offshore, veiled in spray, though in his heart he longs to. The island is taken to stand for the woman he loves and the fierce wind for the obstacles between them, expressing the frustration of a love that cannot draw near.
It is the fourth of the poems on boats. Following the preceding poem's boat waiting on the wind, this one shows a boat kept by the wind from reaching the island; both treat the wind as an obstacle to love. The poet is unknown.
The first line, "in the misting spray," describes spray rising like mist.
The second line, "To the little isle offshore," stands for the woman he loves.
The third line, "the wind is so strong," uses "o ... mi" to give a reason and has an extra syllable.
The fourth line, "I cannot bring my boat in," pauses the poem.
The final line, "though my heart longs to be there," is inverted, adding the strength of his feeling.
- Source
- Manyoshu
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