天の川安の渡りに舟浮けて
秋立つ待つと妹に告げこそ
秋立つ待つと妹に告げこそ
- Roma-ji
-
Amanogawa yasu no watari ni fune ukete aki tatsu matsu to imo ni tsuge koso
- English Translation
-
The Heavenly River,
at the Yasu crossing there,
setting boat afloat,
"I await the autumn's rise"—
tell my darling this, I pray.
- Meaning
- Tell my wife that I have set my boat afloat at the Yasu crossing of the Heavenly River, and am waiting for autumn to begin.
- Commentary
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Book Ten Autumn Miscellaneous Poems 2000
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Tanabata"
This poem, in the Herdsman's voice, asks that the Weaver be told that he has set his boat afloat at the Yasu crossing of the Heavenly River and is waiting for autumn. The heart longing for the day of the Tanabata meeting is shown concretely as one who waits with the boat ready. "Yasu no watari" recalls the Ame no Yasukawa of Japanese myth, overlaying the Tanabata legend of Chinese origin onto the world of Japanese mythology.
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro was a court poet of the Asuka period, active under Empress Jitō and Emperor Monmu. The left note records that this poem comes from the Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection, and it is uncertain whether it is Hitomaro's own work or a poem by someone else that he recorded.
The first line, "the Heavenly River," names the river dividing the two stars.
The second line, "at the Yasu crossing," names the ferry of the Ame no Yasukawa of Japanese myth.
The third line, "setting the boat afloat," shows that preparations for departure are complete.
The fourth line, "waiting for autumn to begin," gives the message.
In the last line, "imo ni tsuge koso," "koso" is a particle of wishing: tell my wife.
- Author
- Kakinomoto no Hitomaro
- Source
- Manyoshu
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