思ひにしあまりにしかばすべをなみ
我れは言ひてき忌むべきものを
我れは言ひてき忌むべきものを
- Roma-ji
-
Omoinishi amarinishikaba sube o nami ware wa iiteki imubeki mono o
- English Translation
-
My longing grew
until it overflowed,
and helpless then,
I spoke it out aloud,
a thing I should have kept
- Meaning
- My love grew until it overflowed, and having no other way, I spoke it aloud, though it should have been kept unsaid.
- Commentary
-
Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts Directly 2947
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts Directly"
Unable to contain overflowing love, the poet regrets having spoken it aloud though it should have been kept secret. In that age, speaking one's love openly was something to be avoided.
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.
The left note records a variant giving lines three to five as "kado ni idete waga koifusu o hito mikemu kamo," another reading "sube o nami idete zo yukishi ie no atari mi ni," and a version from the Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection, "niodori no nazusaikoshi o hito mikemu kamo," so different lower lines have come down from the same opening.
Line one, "omoinishi," means "having loved."
Line two, "amarinishikaba," means "since it overflowed."
Line three, "sube o nami," means "having no way," and the lines up to here give the reason.
Line four, "ware wa iiteki," means "I spoke it aloud."
Line five, "imubeki mono o," means "though I should have refrained," showing regret at having revealed the love.
- Author
- Unknown
- Source
- Manyoshu
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