Tachite ite tadoki mo shirazu aga kokoro amatsu sora nari tsuchi wa fumedomo

立ちて居てたどきも知らず我が心
天つ空なり地は踏めども

Roma-ji: Tachite ite tadoki mo shirazu aga kokoro amatsu sora nari tsuchi wa fumedomo
English Translation: Standing or sitting,
I know no way to turn;
this heart of mine
is floating in the heavens,
though my feet still tread the earth
Meaning: Standing or sitting, I do not know what to do; my heart drifts in the sky, though my feet still tread the ground.
Commentary: Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts Directly 2887

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts Directly"
Love has left the poet's heart drifting, so that while the body stands on earth the heart seems to float in the sky. The separation of heart and body is vividly expressed through the contrast of heaven and earth.
The poet is unknown. Book Twelve, titled the second part of "Love Poems Exchanged Old and New," gathers love poems by people whose names have not come down to us, arranged by category.

Line one, "tachite ite," means "standing or sitting," the same opening as poem 2881 in this book.
Line two, "tadoki mo shirazu," means "knowing no way to turn."
Line three, "aga kokoro," means "my heart."
Line four, "amatsu sora nari," means "is in the sky," describing a heart distracted and unsettled. The poem pauses here.
Line five, "tsuchi wa fumedomo," means "though I tread the earth," contrasting with line four. Poem 2950 in this book uses the same expression, "kokoro sora nari tsuchi wa fumedomo."
Author: Unknown
Source: Manyoshu
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