Tōku areba sugata wa miezu tsune no goto imo ga emai wa omokage ni shite

遠くあれば姿は見えず常のごと
妹が笑まひは面影にして

Roma-ji: Tōku areba sugata wa miezu tsune no goto imo ga emai wa omokage ni shite
English Translation: Being far away,
I cannot see your form,
yet as always,
my darling's smile appears
before me as a vision
Meaning: Being far away, I cannot see you, yet just as always, your smile comes before my eyes as a vision.
Commentary: Book Twelve Thoughts Arising on Journeys 3137

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Thoughts Arising on Journeys"
Being far away, the poet cannot see his wife, yet her smile appears before his eyes as always. Opening with "tōku areba," being far, it answers "chikaku areba," being near, in poem 3135, showing a contrast 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, "tōku areba," means "since I am far," pairing with "chikaku areba" in poem 3135 in this book.
Line two, "sugata wa miezu," means "I cannot see your form," and the poem pauses here.
Line three, "tsune no goto," means "as always."
Line four, "imo ga emai wa," means "my wife's smile." The word "emai" also appears in poem 2900 in this book.
Line five, "omokage ni shite," means "appears as a vision," breaking off to leave a lingering resonance.
Author: Unknown
Source: Manyoshu
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