馬並めてうち群れ越え来今日見つる
吉野の川をいつかへり見む
吉野の川をいつかへり見む
- Roma-ji
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Uma namete uchimure koeki kyō mitsuru yoshino no kawa o itsu kaerimimu
- English Translation
-
Horses side by side,
we came in a band across the hills;
today we saw it,
the river of Yoshino—
when shall I come back to see?
- Meaning
- Riding side by side, we came over the hills together, and today we saw the Yoshino River. When will I be able to come back and see it again?
- Commentary
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Book Nine Miscellaneous Poems 1720
Headnote: "Three poems by Gennin"
Having crossed the hills with companions on horseback and at last seen the Yoshino River today, the speaker regrets parting and wonders when he can return. His praise of the river takes the form of a wish to come again.
This is the first of three poems by Gennin. From here through 1725 follow poems on Yoshino taken from the Hitomaro Collection.
The author, Gennin, is otherwise unknown; some take the name to be that of a monk. According to the left note, this poem comes from the Hitomaro Collection.
The first line, "horses side by side," means riding abreast.
The second line, "we came in a band across the hills," runs to eight syllables.
The third line, "today we saw it," uses tsuru, the attributive of the perfective tsu.
The fourth line, "the river of Yoshino," names the river they saw.
The final line, "when shall I come back to see?" answers "we shall come back to see you" at the end of 1668: where that poem pledges a return, this one asks when the return will be.
- Author
- Gennin
- Source
- Manyoshu
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