Nakanaka ni nani ka shirikemu waga yama ni moyuru keburi no yoso ni mimashi o

なかなかに何か知りけむ我が山に
燃ゆる煙の外に見ましを

Roma-ji: Nakanaka ni nani ka shirikemu waga yama ni moyuru keburi no yoso ni mimashi o
English Translation: Rather, after all,
why did I ever come to know you?
Like smoke that burns
upon my own hillside,
I should have watched from afar
Meaning: Why did I ever come to know you? I should have watched from afar, like smoke rising from a fire on my own hill.
Commentary: Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts through Things 3033

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts through Things"
The poet regrets having come to know the beloved and so to suffer in love, wishing to have watched from afar as one watches distant smoke. Love is likened to burning smoke, and regret at having met is expressed.
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, "nakanaka ni," means "rather, after all," the same opening as poem 2899 in this book.
Line two, "nani ka shirikemu," means "why did I come to know you?", and the poem pauses here.
Line three, "waga yama ni," means "on my own hill."
Line four, "moyuru keburi no," means "like burning smoke," likening love to fire and smoke.
Line five, "yoso ni mimashi o," means "I should have watched it from afar," with "mashi" expressing the counterfactual.
Author: Unknown
Source: Manyoshu
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