川の瀬のたぎつを見れば玉藻かも
散り乱れたる川の常かも
散り乱れたる川の常かも
- Roma-ji
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Kawa no se no tagitsu o mireba tamamo kamo chiri midaretaru kawa no tsune kamo
- English Translation
-
When I see the rapids
of the river rush and foam,
are they jewel-weed,
scattered here in wild confusion,
or the river's usual way?
- Meaning
- Watching the rapids seethe and churn, I wonder: is this lovely weed scattered in disarray, or simply the river's everyday face?
- Commentary
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Book Nine Miscellaneous Poems 1685
Headnote: "Two poems composed by Hashihito no Sukune on the banks of the Izumi River"
Seeing the rapids of the Izumi River break white, the speaker wonders whether jewel-weed has been scattered about, or whether this is simply the river's usual way. The poem marvels at the beauty of the spray and praises the river.
According to the headnote, this is the first of two poems composed by Hashihito no Sukune on the banks of the Izumi River, the present-day Kizu River in southern Kyoto. The poem was included in the Hitomaro Collection.
The author, Hashihito no Sukune, belonged to the Hashihito family, but his given name is not recorded. Some identify him with Hashihito no Ōura.
The first line, "when I see the rapids," points to the shallow, fast-running stretch of the river.
The second line, "of the river rush and foam," uses tagitsu, water that seethes and churns.
The third line, "are they jewel-weed," uses kamo as a question. Tamamo is a word of praise for water plants, but it may also liken the white spray to jewels.
The fourth line, "scattered here in wild confusion," bears on both the third and the fifth lines.
The final line, "or the river's usual way?" repeats kamo from the third line, setting two guesses side by side in parallel. The next poem, 1686, likewise speaks of jewels scattered in the river shallows.
- Author
- Hashihito no Sukune
- Source
- Manyoshu
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