玉葛懸けぬ時なく恋ふれども
何しか妹に逢ふ時もなき
何しか妹に逢ふ時もなき
- Roma-ji
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Tamakazura kakenu toki naku kouredomo nanishika imo ni au toki mo naki
- English Translation
-
Like a jeweled vine,
there's no time you're not in my heart,
so much do I long,
then why is it there's never
a time to meet my love
- Meaning
- There is never a moment I do not keep you in my heart, so why is there never a time to meet?
- Commentary
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Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts through Things 2994
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts through Things"
The poet laments that, though the beloved is always in mind, there is never a time to meet. Unceasing longing is set against the absence of any chance to meet.
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, "tamakazura," a fine name for vines, is a pillow word for "kaku," to hang, since vines hang on things.
Line two, "kakenu toki naku," means "with no time you are not in my heart."
Line three, "kouredomo," means "though I long."
Line four, "nanishika imo ni": "nanishika" means "why," corresponding to the attributive "naki" in line five.
Line five, "au toki mo naki," means "is there no time to meet?"
- Author
- Unknown
- Source
- Manyoshu
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