Azusayumi hikimi yuruemi omoimite sude ni kokoro wa yorinishi mono o

梓弓引きみ緩へみ思ひみて
すでに心は寄りにしものを

Roma-ji: Azusayumi hikimi yuruemi omoimite sude ni kokoro wa yorinishi mono o
English Translation: Like a catalpa bow
drawn tight and then let slack,
I weighed it all,
and already now my heart
has leaned its way to you
Meaning: Like drawing and slackening a catalpa bow, I wavered back and forth, but my heart has already turned to you.
Commentary: Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts through Things 2986

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts through Things"
After wavering like a bow drawn and slackened, the poet's heart has turned completely to the beloved. The movement of a mind from hesitation to resolve is likened to the motion of a bow.
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, "azusayumi," is a pillow word for "hiku," to draw, continuing the catalpa bow of the preceding poem.
Line two, "hikimi yuruemi," means "now drawing, now slackening," with "mi" marking alternating actions; it likens a wavering heart to a bow. The same line appears in poem 2989 in this book.
Line three, "omoimite," means "thinking it over."
Line four, "sude ni kokoro wa," means "already my heart."
Line five, "yorinishi mono o," means "has leaned to you," the same final line as the preceding poem.
Author: Unknown
Source: Manyoshu
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