Tani semami minehe ni haeru tamakazura haete shi araba toshi ni kozu tomo

谷狭み嶺辺に延へる玉葛
延へてしあらば年に来ずとも

Roma-ji: Tani semami minehe ni haeru tamakazura haete shi araba toshi ni kozu tomo
English Translation: The valley's narrow,
so the jeweled vine stretches out
toward the summit;
if our hearts stretch out like that,
though you come not once a year
Meaning: Like the jeweled vine stretching toward the summit because the valley is narrow, if our hearts reach out to each other, it does not matter if you come not once a year.
Commentary: Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts through Things 3067

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts through Things"
Like a jeweled vine stretching toward the summit, if their hearts reach out to each other, it does not matter if the beloved does not come even once a year. It shows a heart secure enough to value connection over the number of meetings. A variant gives lines three and four as "iwatsuna no haete shi araba."
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, "tani semami," means "since the valley is narrow."
Line two, "minehe ni haeru," means "stretching toward the summit."
Line three, "tamakazura," a fine name for vines, and the lines up to here form an introduction leading to "hae," to stretch.
Line four, "haete shi araba," means "if our hearts reach out to each other."
Line five, "toshi ni kozu tomo," means "even if you come not once a year," showing a heart secure in unchanging love.
Author: Unknown
Source: Manyoshu
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