Chihayahito uji no watari no se o hayami awazu koso are nochi mo waga tsuma

ちはや人宇治の渡りの瀬を早み
逢はずこそあれ後も我が妻

Roma-ji: Chihayahito uji no watari no se o hayami awazu koso are nochi mo waga tsuma
English Translation: Since at Uji's ford,
Uji of the mighty clans,
the rapids run fast,
we cannot meet as yet, but
later you will be my wife
Meaning: Because the current at the ford of Uji runs so swift, we cannot meet for now; but later, surely, you will be my wife.
Commentary: Book Eleven Love Poems Ancient and Modern I 2428

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Feelings through Things"
Just as the swift current at the Uji ford cannot be crossed, the speaker cannot meet the beloved now, yet declares that she will surely become his wife one day. The obstacle of the present is entrusted to the rapids of the river, while the last line states his certainty about the future with resolve, giving this love poem a strong, firm tone.
From the preceding poem, 2427, a run of poems on the Uji River begins, and the next poem, 2429, is likewise set in its rapids. This poem, in which the river cannot be crossed and the lovers cannot meet, pairs with the next, in which the speaker crosses and wets his skirts yet still does not meet her. The word "later" in the last line also echoes "let us meet later" in poem 2431.
The author is unknown; according to the left note, the poem comes from the Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection. That collection is thought to contain both Hitomaro's own poems and poems by others that he recorded. Kakinomoto no Hitomaro was a court poet active in the reigns of Empress Jito and Emperor Monmu, and is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.

First line, "chihayahito": a pillow word attached to "Uji." Meaning "people of fierce vigor," it is thought to lead to Uji through the sound of uji, "clan."
Second line, "uji no watari no": the ford of the Uji River. Uji was a key point on the routes north from Yamato toward Omi and Yamashiro.
Third line, "se o hayami": "because the rapids are swift." This so-called mi construction expresses cause, and the first three lines set out the reason for not meeting through an image of things.
Fourth line, "awazu koso are": "though we do not meet." The particle "koso" is answered by the perfective form "are," which turns concessive and flows into what follows.
Fifth line, "nochi mo waga tsuma": "later you will be my wife." Ending on the noun "wife," it voices strong confidence in the future.
Author: Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection
Source: Manyoshu
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