Tamakatsuma Abeshimayama no yūtsuyu ni tabine e seme ya nagaki kono yo o

玉かつま安倍島山の夕露に
旅寝えせめや長きこの夜を

Roma-ji: Tamakatsuma Abeshimayama no yūtsuyu ni tabine e seme ya nagaki kono yo o
English Translation: On Abeshima Hill,
like a fine-meshed basket's lid,
in the evening dew,
how could I sleep upon the road
all through this long night
Meaning: How could I sleep out on the road in the evening dew on Abeshima Hill, all through this long night?
Commentary: Book Twelve Thoughts Arising on Journeys 3152

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Thoughts Arising on Journeys"
The poet sings of the hardship and loneliness of sleeping out on a journey, asking how one could sleep through a long night in the evening dew on Abeshima Hill. The long dew-soaked night stresses the loneliness of sleeping alone.
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, "tamakatsuma," is a pillow word for "Abe," since a basket's lid and body "au," fit together.
Line two, "Abeshimayama no," means "of Abeshima Hill," whose location is debated. The same pillow word appears in poems 2916 and 3193 in this book.
Line three, "yūtsuyu ni," means "in the evening dew."
Line four, "tabine e seme ya," is a rhetorical question, "could I sleep on the road?"
Line five, "nagaki kono yo o," means "this long night," the inversion stressing the length and hardship of the night.
Author: Unknown
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Yoso nomi ni kimi o aimite yūdatami tamuke no yama o asu ka koeinamu
Next Poem: Miyuki furu Koshi no ōyama yukisugite izure no hi ni ka waga sato o mimu