天の川夜船を漕ぎて明けぬとも
逢はむと思ふ夜袖交へずあらむ
逢はむと思ふ夜袖交へずあらむ
- Roma-ji
-
Amanogawa yobune o kogite akenu tomo awamu to omou yo sode kaezu aramu
- English Translation
-
The Heavenly River—
rowing on my boat by night,
though the dawn should break,
on this night I mean to meet,
could I not exchange our sleeves?
- Meaning
- Rowing my night boat across the Heavenly River, even if dawn should break, on this night I mean to meet her, how could we not exchange sleeves?
- Commentary
-
Book Ten Autumn Miscellaneous Poems 2020
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Tanabata"
In this poem the Herdsman resolves that even if dawn breaks as he rows his night boat across the Heavenly River, on this night he means to meet her, he will surely exchange sleeves with her. Whereas 2018 lamented the night growing late while searching for the ford, this poem shows a strong will to fulfill the meeting even if dawn comes.
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 to be crossed by boat.
The second line, "rowing the night boat," describes the crossing.
In the third line, "akenu tomo," "tomo" marks a concessive supposition: even if dawn breaks.
The fourth line, "the night I mean to meet," is hypermetric.
The last line, "sode kaezu aramu," could we not exchange sleeves?, carries a rhetorical sense, closing with a strong will to lie together.
- Author
- Kakinomoto no Hitomaro
- Source
- Manyoshu
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