佐保川の川波立たず静けくも
君にたぐひて明日さへもがも
君にたぐひて明日さへもがも
- Roma-ji
-
Sahogawa no kawanami tatazu shizukeku mo kimi ni taguite asu sae mogamo
- English Translation
-
On the Saho River
no waves rise and all is still;
so calmly, so close
beside you I would stay,
even through tomorrow too
- Meaning
- As calm as the Saho River when no waves rise, I wish to stay quietly by your side, even through tomorrow.
- Commentary
-
Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts through Things 3010
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts through Things"
Using the stillness of the Saho River without waves as an introduction, a woman wishes to stay quietly beside her beloved even through tomorrow. The calm river scene reflects the peace of a fulfilled 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, "Sahogawa no," is the river flowing near Saho in Nara.
Line two, "kawanami tatazu," means "no river waves rise," and the lines up to here form an introduction leading to "shizukeku," calmly.
Line three, "shizukeku mo," means "calmly, peacefully."
Line four, "kimi ni taguite," means "close beside you."
Line five, "asu sae mogamo," means "would it might last even through tomorrow," with "mogamo" expressing a wish.
- Author
- Unknown
- Source
- Manyoshu
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