天の川霧立ちわたる今日今日と
我が待つ君し舟出すらしも
我が待つ君し舟出すらしも
- Roma-ji
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Amanogawa kiri tachiwataru kyō kyō to waga matsu kimi shi funade surashi mo
- English Translation
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Over the River of Heaven
mists are rising everywhere;
"Today, today," I said,
and the one for whom I wait
surely now sets out by boat.
- Meaning
- Mist spreads over the River of Heaven. The one I have waited for, day after day, must now be setting out in his boat.
- Commentary
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Book Nine Miscellaneous Poems 1765
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "A Tanabata poem, with tanka"; envoy
Seeing mist spread over the River of Heaven, the Weaver Maid rejoices that the Herdsman she has awaited day after day must be setting out by boat. The mist is taken as spray from his oars, a sign that the day of meeting has come.
This is the envoy to the long poem 1764 in this book. In the Weaver Maid's voice, the long poem lays a jeweled bridge across the upper shallows and floats a boat on the lower, so that rain or wind, he may come without wetting his skirts. The left note records an account that it was composed at the residence of Lord Fujiwara of the North, Commander of the Middle Palace Guards, which refers to Fujiwara no Fusasaki, founder of the Northern House of the Fujiwara; the author's name is not recorded.
The first line, "over the River of Heaven," names the river dividing the two stars.
The second line, "mists are rising everywhere," reflects the belief that the Herdsman's oars raised mist. The poem pauses here.
The third line, "today, today," repeats the word to show eager waiting.
The fourth line, "and the one for whom I wait," uses the emphatic shi; like the long poem's "come without fail," it waits from the Weaver Maid's side.
The final line, "surely now sets out by boat," uses rashi, an inference based on the mist, with the exclamatory mo.
- Source
- Manyoshu
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