わたつみの沖つ玉藻の靡き寝む
早来ませ君待たば苦しも
早来ませ君待たば苦しも
- Roma-ji
-
Watatsumi no okitsu tamamo no nabikinemu haya kimase kimi mataba kurushi mo
- English Translation
-
Like the jeweled weed
in the offing of the sea,
let us lie entwined;
come quickly to me, my lord,
for waiting is such pain
- Meaning
- Like the seaweed swaying far out at sea, let us lie close together; come quickly, my love, for waiting is painful.
- Commentary
-
Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts through Things 3079
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts through Things"
A woman invites her lover to lie close together like seaweed swaying offshore and asks him to come quickly, for waiting is painful. Continuing the seaweed of the preceding poem, it frankly expresses the longing of one who waits.
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, "watatsumi no," means "of the sea," originally the sea god.
Line two, "okitsu tamamo no," means "like the seaweed far offshore," and the lines up to here form an introduction leading to "nabiki," to sway. It continues the seaweed of the preceding poem.
Line three, "nabikinemu," means "let us lie close together," and the poem pauses here.
Line four, "haya kimase kimi," means "come quickly, my love," and the poem pauses again.
Line five, "mataba kurushi mo," means "for waiting is painful," the same final line as poem 3031 in this book.
- Author
- Unknown
- Source
- Manyoshu
- Prev Poem
-
Nami no muta nabiku tamamo no katamoi ni waga omou hito no koto no shigekeku
- Next Poem
-
Watatsumi no oki ni oitaru nawanori no na wa katsute noraji koi wa shinu tomo