思ひつつ居れば苦しもぬばたまの
夜に至らば我れこそ行かめ
夜に至らば我れこそ行かめ
- Roma-ji
-
Omoitsutsu oreba kurushi mo nubatama no yoru ni itaraba ware koso yukame
- English Translation
-
Thinking of you so,
just sitting here is pain;
when the jet-black night
has come at last, it's I
who'll go to you myself
- Meaning
- It is painful just to sit here thinking of you; when night comes, I will go to you myself.
- Commentary
-
Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts Directly 2931
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts Directly"
A woman, finding it painful to sit and wait, resolves to go to her lover herself when night falls. In an age when it was customary for the man to visit, the poem shows a bold heart ready to go to him instead.
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, "omoitsutsu," means "thinking of you continuously."
Line two, "oreba kurushi mo," means "it is painful to stay," and the poem pauses here.
Line three, "nubatama no," is a pillow word for "yoru," night.
Line four, "yoru ni itaraba," means "when night comes."
Line five, "ware koso yukame": "koso" is concluded by the realis "me," showing firm resolve, "it is I who will go."
- Author
- Unknown
- Source
- Manyoshu
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