Tawayame wa oyaji kokoro ni shimashiku mo yamu toki mo naku mitemu to zo omou

たわや女は同じ心にしましくも
やむ時もなく見てむとぞ思ふ

Roma-ji: Tawayame wa oyaji kokoro ni shimashiku mo yamu toki mo naku mitemu to zo omou
English Translation: I, a gentle maid,
with a heart the same as yours,
not for a moment
would I ever pause, I think,
but look on you forever
Meaning: I, a gentle woman, share your heart, and I wish to look on you without a single moment's pause.
Commentary: Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts Directly 2921

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts Directly"
A woman, gentle though she is, wishes to be with her beloved without pause, sharing the same heart. The phrase "the same heart" carries her wish to be one with his feelings.
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, "tawayame wa," means "a gentle, slender woman," referring to the poet herself.
Line two, "oyaji kokoro ni," means "with the same heart as yours," read "oyaji" in the kana line.
Line three, "shimashiku mo," means "even for a moment."
Line four, "yamu toki mo naku," means "without ever ceasing."
Line five, "mitemu to zo omou": "zo" is concluded by the attributive "omou," strengthening the wish to be together forever.
Author: Unknown
Source: Manyoshu
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