天の川霧立ち上る織女の
雲の衣のかへる袖かも
雲の衣のかへる袖かも
- Roma-ji
-
Amanogawa kiri tachinoboru tanabata no kumo no koromo no kaeru sode ka mo
- English Translation
-
The Heavenly River,
there the mists are rising up;
the Weaver Maiden's
robe of clouds, is it perhaps
her sleeve fluttering, turning back?
- Meaning
- Mist rises over the Heavenly River—could it be the fluttering sleeve of the Weaver Maiden's robe of clouds?
- Commentary
-
Book Ten Autumn Miscellaneous Poems 2063
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Tanabata"
This poem likens the mist rising over the Heavenly River to the fluttering sleeve of the Weaver's robe of clouds. Like 2041, which likened white clouds to the Weaver's scarf, it uses the device of seeing features of the sky as the Weaver's attire, here making the mist her sleeve. "Kaeru sode," fluttering sleeves, may also carry the sense of sleeves waved at parting.
The first line, "the Heavenly River," names the river dividing the stars.
The second line, "mist rises," breaks the poem after the second line.
The third line, "of the Weaver," names the Weaver Star.
The fourth line, "of the robe of clouds," names a celestial maiden's garment.
In the last line, "kaeru sode ka mo," "kaeru" means to flutter and "ka mo" is a question tinged with exclamation, closing by likening the mist to her sleeve.
- Source
- Manyoshu
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