白栲の君が下紐我れさへに
今日結びてな逢はむ日のため
今日結びてな逢はむ日のため
- Roma-ji
-
Shirotae no kimi ga shitabimo ware sae ni kyō musubite na awamu hi no tame
- English Translation
-
Your under-cord
of pure white cloth, let me too
join in tying it
together with you today,
for the day we meet again
- Meaning
- Let me too help tie your white under-cord today, for the sake of the day we meet again.
- Commentary
-
Book Twelve Poems Lamenting Parting 3181
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Poems Lamenting Parting"
A woman offers to help tie the under-cord of the man setting out, for the sake of their reunion. It draws on the custom of two lovers tying a cord together at parting and leaving it tied until they meet again.
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, "shirotae no," means "of white cloth," modifying the under-cord.
Line two, "kimi ga shitabimo," means "your under-cord."
Line three, "ware sae ni," means "I as well."
Line four, "kyō musubite na," means "let me tie it today," with "na" expressing intention. The poem pauses here.
Line five, "awamu hi no tame," means "for the day we meet," drawing on the same custom as "futari shite musubishi himo" in poem 2919 in this book.
- Author
- Unknown
- Source
- Manyoshu
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Ura mo naku inishi kimi yue asana sana motona zo kouru au to wa nakedo
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Shirotae no sode no wakare wa oshikedomo omoimidarete yurushitsuru kamo