かく恋ひむものと知りせば我妹子に
言問はましを今し悔しも
言問はましを今し悔しも
- Roma-ji
-
Kaku koimu mono to shiriseba wagimoko ni koto towamashi o ima shi kuyashi mo
- English Translation
-
Had I only known
that love would ache like this,
to my darling girl
I'd have spoken many words;
how I regret it now
- Meaning
- Had I known I would long for her like this, I would have spoken more with my wife; now I regret it.
- Commentary
-
Book Twelve Thoughts Arising on Journeys 3143
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Thoughts Arising on Journeys"
On the journey, the poet regrets not having spoken more with his wife before parting, had he known he would long for her so. It opens on the same idea as poems 2867 and 3038 in this book.
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, "kaku koimu," means "to long like this."
Line two, "mono to shiriseba," means "had I known," a counterfactual corresponding to "mashi" in line four.
Line three, "wagimoko ni," means "to my darling."
Line four, "koto towamashi o," means "I would have spoken to her," and the poem pauses here.
Line five, "ima shi kuyashi mo," means "how I regret it now," with "shi" emphatic.
- Author
- Unknown
- Source
- Manyoshu
- Prev Poem
-
Kuni tōmi tada ni wa awazu ime ni dani ware ni mie koso awamu hi made ni
- Next Poem
-
Tabi no yo no hisashiku nareba sanitsurau himo tokisakezu kouru konogoro