Shirotae no waga himo no o no taenu ma ni koimusubi semu awamu hi made ni

白栲の我が紐の緒の絶えぬ間に
恋結びせむ逢はむ日までに

Roma-ji: Shirotae no waga himo no o no taenu ma ni koimusubi semu awamu hi made ni
English Translation: The cord of my robe
of pure white cloth, while it still
remains unbroken,
I will tie in a lover's knot
until the day we meet again
Meaning: Before the cord of my white robe breaks, I will tie it in a lover's knot to hold until the day we meet again.
Commentary: Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts through Things 2854

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts through Things"
The poet resolves to tie a lover's knot in the cord of the robe so that their bond will not break before they meet again. Against the custom of the time of tying cords and leaving them tied until reunion, it voices a vow made after parting.
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro was a court poet who served under Empress Jitō and Emperor Monmu. The left note shows that this poem was taken from the Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection, though scholars differ on whether it is Hitomaro's own work or a song he recorded.

Line one, "shirotae no," refers to white cloth, modifying the "cord" of the robe here.
Line two, "waga himo no o no," refers to the cord of one's own robe.
Line three, "taenu ma ni," means "before it breaks," with an overtone of "before our bond is broken."
Line four, "koimusubi semu," means "I will tie a lover's knot," a charm to bring love to fulfillment and reunion.
Line five, "awamu hi made ni," means "until the day we meet." Poems 3142 and 3188 in this book end with the same line, which serves to express the hope of meeting again.
Author: Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection
Source: Manyoshu
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