Watatsumi no oki ni oitaru nawanori no na wa katsute noraji koi wa shinu tomo

わたつみの沖に生ひたる縄海苔の
名はかつて告らじ恋ひは死ぬとも

Roma-ji: Watatsumi no oki ni oitaru nawanori no na wa katsute noraji koi wa shinu tomo
English Translation: Like the rope-weed growing
in the offing of the sea,
the name I'll never,
never tell to anyone,
though I die of longing
Meaning: Like the long rope-weed growing far out at sea, I will never tell the name, even if I die of longing.
Commentary: Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts through Things 3080

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts through Things"
Using rope-weed growing far offshore as an introduction, the poet vows never to tell the name even if it means dying of longing. Like poem 3077 in this book, it expresses a firm will to protect the love by keeping the name secret.
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," the same opening as the preceding poem.
Line two, "oki ni oitaru," means "growing far offshore."
Line three, "nawanori no," is a seaweed long like rope, and the lines up to here form an introduction leading through the sound "na" to "na," name.
Line four, "na wa katsute noraji," means "I will never tell the name," a hypermetric line of eight syllables, the same vow of secrecy as in poem 3077 in this book.
Line five, "koi wa shinu tomo," means "even if I die of longing," the same final line as poem 2939 in this book.
Author: Unknown
Source: Manyoshu
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