娘子らが績み麻のたたり打ち麻懸け
うむ時なしに恋ひわたるかも
うむ時なしに恋ひわたるかも
- Roma-ji
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Otomera ga umio no tatari uchiso kake umu toki nashi ni koiwataru kamo
- English Translation
-
As the maidens hang
the beaten hemp upon the frame
to spin their thread,
never tiring, never done,
I go on longing still
- Meaning
- As maidens hang beaten hemp on the spindle stand to spin, so I go on longing, never weary of it.
- Commentary
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Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts through Things 2990
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts through Things"
Using the everyday work of maidens spinning hemp as an introduction, the poem sings of a heart that never tires of love. Its highlight is the pivot word "umu," meaning both to spin hemp and to grow weary.
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, "otomera ga," means "the maidens."
Line two, "umio no tatari": "tatari" is a stand used when spinning hemp thread.
Line three, "uchiso kake," means "hanging the beaten, softened hemp," and the lines up to here form an introduction leading to "umu."
Line four, "umu toki nashi ni": "umu" is a pivot word meaning both to spin hemp and to grow weary.
Line five, "koiwataru kamo," means "I go on longing," a love that never tires.
- Author
- Unknown
- Source
- Manyoshu
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