Ōkimi no shio yaku ama no fujigoromo nare wa suredomo iya mezurashi mo

大君の塩焼く海人の藤衣
なれはすれどもいやめづらしも

Roma-ji: Ōkimi no shio yaku ama no fujigoromo nare wa suredomo iya mezurashi mo
English Translation: Like the wisteria robes
of fisherfolk who burn salt
for our great lord,
worn and familiar though you are,
you are ever dearer still
Meaning: Like the coarse wisteria robes of the fisherfolk who boil salt for our lord, you have grown familiar to me, yet you are dearer than ever.
Commentary: Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts through Things 2971

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts through Things"
Using the worn wisteria robes of salt-making fisherfolk as an introduction, the poem sings of a long-familiar partner who grows ever dearer. Love that does not fade with familiarity is expressed through the everyday image of a well-worn robe.
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, "ōkimi no," means "of our great lord," continuing "who boil salt for our lord."
Line two, "shio yaku ama no," means "of the fisherfolk who boil seawater for salt."
Line three, "fujigoromo," is a coarse robe woven from wisteria fiber, and the lines up to here form an introduction leading to "nare," being worn or familiar.
Line four, "nare wa suredomo," means "though we have grown familiar," overlapping a robe worn soft with lovers grown used to each other.
Line five, "iya mezurashi mo," means "ever more precious," expressing love that stays fresh despite familiarity.
Author: Unknown
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Momozome no asara no koromo asaraka ni omoite imo ni awamu mono kamo
Next Poem: Akakinu no hitaura no kinu nagaku hori aga omou kimi ga mienu koro kamo