Tōtsuhito Kariji no ike ni sumu tori no tachite mo ite mo kimi o shi zo omou

遠つ人狩道の池に住む鳥の
立ちても居ても君をしぞ思ふ

Roma-ji: Tōtsuhito Kariji no ike ni sumu tori no tachite mo ite mo kimi o shi zo omou
English Translation: Like the birds that dwell
on the pond of Kariji,
far one, wild geese,
whether standing or sitting,
it is you I think of still
Meaning: Like the birds living on Kariji Pond, rising and settling, whether standing or sitting I think only of you.
Commentary: Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts through Things 3089

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts through Things"
Using the birds on Kariji Pond rising and settling as an introduction, the poet sings of thinking only of the beloved whether standing or sitting. The birds' movements are overlaid with the restless movements of a person.
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, "tōtsuhito," meaning "one far away," is a pillow word leading to "Kariji," which shares the sound of "kari," wild geese.
Line two, "Kariji no ike ni," is taken to mean "on Kariji Pond," near Haibara in Uda, Nara Prefecture.
Line three, "sumu tori no," means "the birds that dwell," and the lines up to here form an introduction leading, through birds rising and settling, to "tachite mo ite mo."
Line four, "tachite mo ite mo," means "standing or sitting," akin to "tachite ite" in poems 2881 and 2887 in this book.
Line five, "kimi o shi zo omou," means "it is you I think of," the same final line as poem 2952 in this book.
Author: Unknown
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Koigoromo Kinara no yama ni naku tori no ma naku toki nashi aga kouraku wa
Next Poem: Ashihe yuku kamo no haoto no oto nomi ni kikitsutsu motona koiwataru kamo