港入りの葦別け小舟障り多み
今来む我れを淀むと思ふな
今来む我れを淀むと思ふな
- Roma-ji
-
Minatoiri no ashiwake obune sawari ōmi ima komu ware o yodomu to omou na
- English Translation
-
Like a little boat
parting reeds to reach the harbor,
hindrances abound,
but do not think I falter,
I who will soon come to you
- Meaning
- Like a small boat pushing through reeds into the harbor, I am beset with obstacles; but do not think I am hesitating, for I will come to you soon.
- Commentary
-
Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts through Things 2998
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts through Things"
Using the slow progress of a small boat pushing through reeds into a harbor as an introduction, the poet explains that the delay is only due to obstacles, not hesitation. The variant in the left note gives the last two lines as "kimi ni awazute toshi zo henikeru," turning it into a lament that years have passed without meeting.
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, "minatoiri no," means "entering the harbor," a hypermetric line of six syllables.
Line two, "ashiwake obune," is a small boat parting thick reeds, and the lines up to here form an introduction leading through difficult progress to "sawari ōmi."
Line three, "sawari ōmi," means "because there are many obstacles."
Line four, "ima komu ware o," means "me, who will come soon."
Line five, "yodomu to omou na," means "do not think I hesitate," using "yodomu," to stagnate, for interrupted visits, as in poem 2988 in this book.
- Author
- Unknown
- Source
- Manyoshu
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