Sato sakari tōku aranaku ni kusamakura tabi to shi omoeba nao koinikeri

里離り遠くあらなくに草枕
旅とし思へばなほ恋ひにけり

Roma-ji: Sato sakari tōku aranaku ni kusamakura tabi to shi omoeba nao koinikeri
English Translation: I am not so far
from the village I have left,
yet with grass for pillow,
when I think "I am on a journey,"
longing comes to me again
Meaning: I am not far from my village, yet when I think of myself as on a journey, pillowed on grass, I find myself longing all the same.
Commentary: Book Twelve Thoughts Arising on Journeys 3134

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Thoughts Arising on Journeys"
Though not far from home, the poet finds that thinking of oneself as on a journey brings longing. It frankly states the psychology by which the very awareness of traveling stirs longing, regardless of distance.
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, "sato sakari," means "having left the village."
Line two, "tōku aranaku ni," means "though it is not far."
Line three, "kusamakura," grass for a pillow, is a pillow word for "tabi," journey.
Line four, "tabi to shi omoeba," means "when I think it a journey," with "shi" emphatic.
Line five, "nao koinikeri," means "I find myself longing still," the same final line as poems 2845 and 3062 in this book.
Author: Unknown
Source: Manyoshu
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