Hitogoto o shigemi kochitami wagimoko ni inishi tsuki yori imada awanu kamo

人言を繁み言痛み我妹子に
去にし月よりいまだ逢はぬかも

Roma-ji: Hitogoto o shigemi kochitami wagimoko ni inishi tsuki yori imada awanu kamo
English Translation: People's talk so thick,
their wagging tongues so tiresome,
my darling girl
since the month that's past
I have not met her yet
Meaning: Because the gossip is so thick and wearisome, I have not seen my beloved since last month.
Commentary: Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts Directly 2895

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts Directly"
A man laments that, because of persistent gossip, he has not been able to see his beloved since last month. Naming a concrete span of time makes the length of the separation keenly felt.
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, "hitogoto o," means "the gossip."
Line two, "shigemi kochitami," means "because it is thick and troublesome," stacking two "mi" forms to give reasons. Poem 2938 in this book uses the same two opening lines from a woman's side, forming a male and female pair.
Line three, "wagimoko ni," means "my darling."
Line four, "inishi tsuki yori," means "since the month gone by."
Line five, "imada awanu kamo," means "I have not yet met her," with a note of exclamation.
Author: Unknown
Source: Manyoshu
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