夕さらば君に逢はむと思へこそ
日の暮るらくも嬉しくありけれ
日の暮るらくも嬉しくありけれ
- Roma-ji
-
Yū saraba kimi ni awamu to omoe koso hi no kururaku mo ureshiku arikere
- English Translation
-
When evening comes,
I think, then I shall meet you,
and so it is
that even the fading of the day
fills me now with joy
- Meaning
- Because I think I shall see you when evening comes, even the dusk falling brings me joy.
- Commentary
-
Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts Directly 2922
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts Directly"
A woman sings of the joy of waiting for a tryst: because she will see her lover in the evening, even the sunset makes her glad. Among the many poems lamenting the pain of waiting, this one is full of bright anticipation.
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, "yū saraba," means "when evening comes."
Line two, "kimi ni awamu to," means "that I shall meet you."
Line three, "omoe koso," means "precisely because I think so," forming a kakari-musubi with the realis "kere" in line five.
Line four, "hi no kururaku mo," uses the nominalized form of "kuru," meaning "even the day's darkening." Whereas poem 2901 in this book lamented the sunset, here dusk is a cause for joy.
Line five, "ureshiku arikere," means "is a joy," frankly expressing the delight of awaiting a meeting.
- Author
- Unknown
- Source
- Manyoshu
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