旅にして妹を思ひ出でいちしろく
人の知るべく嘆きせむかも
人の知るべく嘆きせむかも
- Roma-ji
-
Tabi ni shite imo o omoiide ichishiroku hito no shirubeku nageki semu kamo
- English Translation
-
On my journey far,
thinking of my darling girl,
so plain to see
that everyone would know,
might I break into sighs
- Meaning
- Away on my journey, remembering my wife, might I sigh so plainly that everyone would know?
- Commentary
-
Book Twelve Thoughts Arising on Journeys 3133
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Thoughts Arising on Journeys"
Remembering his wife on the journey, the poet worries that he will sigh so plainly that others will notice. It portrays a heart that cannot suppress longing for his wife even while minding the eyes of fellow travelers.
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, "tabi ni shite," means "being on a journey."
Line two, "imo o omoiide," means "remembering my wife."
Line three, "ichishiroku," means "plainly, conspicuously."
Line four, "hito no shirubeku," means "so that others know," the same line as in poems 3021 and 3023 in this book.
Line five, "nageki semu kamo," means "might I sigh?"
- Author
- Unknown
- Source
- Manyoshu
- Prev Poem
-
Na yuki so to kaeri mo ku ya to kaerimi ni yukedo kaerazu michi no nagate o
- Next Poem
-
Sato sakari tōku aranaku ni kusamakura tabi to shi omoeba nao koinikeri