玉桙の道に行き逢ひて外目にも
見ればよき子をいつとか待たむ
見ればよき子をいつとか待たむ
- Roma-ji
-
Tamahoko no michi ni yukiaite yosome ni mo mireba yoki ko o itsu to ka matamu
- English Translation
-
On the jewel-spear road
we chanced to pass each other;
even from afar
she was lovely to behold;
when may I hope to have her
- Meaning
- I passed her on the road, and even from a distance she was lovely; when can I hope she will be mine?
- Commentary
-
Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts Directly 2946
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts Directly"
Drawn to a lovely girl he passed on the road, the poet wonders when they might be joined. It voices anxiety over the future of a love begun by chance.
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, "tamahoko no," is a pillow word for "michi," road.
Line two, "michi ni yukiaite," means "meeting on the road."
Line three, "yosome ni mo," means "even from afar," the same word as in poem 2883 in this book.
Line four, "mireba yoki ko o," means "a girl lovely to look at."
Line five, "itsu to ka matamu," means "when may I hope?", anxious about where a chance encounter will lead.
- Author
- Unknown
- Source
- Manyoshu
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Tamazusa no kimi ga tsukai o machishi yo no nagori zo ima mo inenu yo no ōki
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