海神のいづれの神を祈らばか
行くさも来さも船の早けむ
行くさも来さも船の早けむ
- Roma-ji
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Watatsumi no izure no kami o inoraba ka yukusa mo kusa mo fune no hayakemu
- English Translation
-
Of the gods of the sea,
which among them should we pray to
that on the way out
and on the way back again
swift and sure your ship may sail?
- Meaning
- To which of the gods of the sea should I pray, so that your ship may speed on its way there and on its way home?
- Commentary
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Book Nine Love Poems 1784
Headnote: "A poem sent to an envoy to Tang"
For an envoy crossing to Tang China, the speaker wonders which of the sea gods to pray to so that the ship may sail swiftly and safely out and back. The earnest wish of those seeing someone off on a perilous voyage comes through.
According to the headnote, this poem was sent to an envoy to Tang. The left note says the year of the crossing is not known. The author is not recorded.
The first line, "of the gods of the sea," names Watatsumi, the sea deity.
The second line, "which among them should we pray to," reflects the belief that the sea held many gods.
The third line, "that on the way out," renders inoraba ka, where ka marks a question.
The fourth line, "and on the way back again," uses the suffix sa, "at the time of."
The final line, "swift and sure your ship may sail?" answers ka with the attributive mu in a kakari-musubi.
- Source
- Manyoshu
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