Koromode no naki no kawabe o harusame ni ware tachinuru to ie omouramu ka

衣手の名木の川辺を春雨に
我れ立ち濡ると家思ふらむか

Roma-ji: Koromode no naki no kawabe o harusame ni ware tachinuru to ie omouramu ka
English Translation: Like a sleeve, Naki—
along the banks of the Naki River
in the rain of spring
I stand and am drenched, I wonder,
does my household think of me?
Meaning: Here on the banks of the Naki River I stand soaked by the spring rain. Do the people at home think of me like this?
Commentary: Book Nine Miscellaneous Poems 1696

Headnote: "Three poems composed at the Naki River"
Standing drenched by spring rain on the banks of the Naki River, the traveler wonders whether his household is thinking of him. The forlornness of travel takes the form of a longing for the thoughts of those at home.
This is the first of three poems composed at the Naki River; together they link the spring rain with the household at home. Poems 1688 and 1689 of this book are also said to have been composed at the Naki River.
The author, Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, was a court poet active in the reigns of Jitō and Monmu. This poem is taken from the Hitomaro Collection, which is thought to contain both Hitomaro's own poems and poems by others that he gathered.

The first line, koromode no, "sleeve," is taken as a pillow word for Naki, though how it connects is disputed.
The second line, "along the banks of the Naki River," gives the place where he stands in the rain.
The third line, "in the rain of spring," introduces the spring rain that runs through all three poems.
The fourth line, "I stand and am drenched," describes being soaked while standing.
The final line, "does my household think of me?" uses the present conjecture ramu and the question ka; ie, "house," here means the people at home.
Author: Kakinomoto no Hitomaro
Source: Manyoshu
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