Kamo sura mo onoga tsumadochi asari shite okururu aida ni kou to iu mono o

鴨すらもおのが妻どちあさりして
後るる間に恋ふといふものを

Roma-ji: Kamo sura mo onoga tsumadochi asari shite okururu aida ni kou to iu mono o
English Translation: Even the wild ducks,
searching for food together,
mate beside mate,
when one falls behind a little,
long for each other, they say
Meaning: Even ducks, foraging side by side with their mates, are said to pine for each other if one falls behind for a moment.
Commentary: Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts through Things 3091

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts through Things"
The poet says that even ducks foraging with their mates pine for each other if one falls behind for a moment, implying how much more the poet, long separated from the beloved, must suffer. It continues the ducks of the preceding poem.
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, "kamo sura mo," means "even the ducks," continuing the ducks of the preceding poem.
Line two, "onoga tsumadochi," means "together with their own mates."
Line three, "asari shite," means "foraging for food."
Line four, "okururu aida ni," means "in the moment one falls behind."
Line five, "kou to iu mono o," means "they long for each other, they say," comparing the poet's own longing in separation with the ducks.
Author: Unknown
Source: Manyoshu
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