近くあれば名のみも聞きて慰めつ
今夜ゆ恋のいやまさりなむ
今夜ゆ恋のいやまさりなむ
- Roma-ji
-
Chikaku areba na nomi mo kikite nagusametsu koyoi yu koi no iyamasarinamu
- English Translation
-
While you were close,
just to hear your name was comfort
enough for me;
from tonight my longing
will grow and grow the more
- Meaning
- While you were near, I comforted myself just by hearing news of you; from tonight my longing will only grow.
- Commentary
-
Book Twelve Thoughts Arising on Journeys 3135
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Thoughts Arising on Journeys"
While near, the poet was comforted just by hearing news of the beloved, but from tonight, on setting out, longing will only grow. It anticipates the loneliness of being beyond the reach of even rumor.
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, "chikaku areba," means "since you were near."
Line two, "na nomi mo kikite," means "hearing only news of you."
Line three, "nagusametsu," means "I comforted myself," and the poem pauses here.
Line four, "koyoi yu koi no," means "from tonight my longing," with "yu" marking a starting point.
Line five, "iyamasarinamu," means "will surely grow ever more."
- Author
- Unknown
- Source
- Manyoshu
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