Nikitatsu ni funanori semu to kikishi nae nanzo mo kimi ga miekozu aruramu

熟田津に舟乗りせむと聞きしなへ
何ぞも君が見え来ずあるらむ

Roma-ji: Nikitatsu ni funanori semu to kikishi nae nanzo mo kimi ga miekozu aruramu
English Translation: At Nikitatsu,
I heard, you'd board a ship,
and yet, my lord,
why is it that you never
come here to be seen
Meaning: I heard you were about to board a ship at Nikitatsu, so why have you not come to see me?
Commentary: Book Twelve Poems Lamenting Parting 3202

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Poems Lamenting Parting"
A woman wonders why her lover has not come to see her, though she heard he would board a ship at Nikitatsu. It shows her heart waiting to see him once before he sails.
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, "Nikitatsu ni," means "at Nikitatsu," a port near present-day Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture.
Line two, "funanori semu to," means "that you would board a ship."
Line three, "kikishi nae," means "though I heard so, just as I heard."
Line four, "nanzo mo kimi ga," means "why, you," corresponding to "ramu" in line five.
Line five, "miekozu aruramu," means "have you not come to be seen?", a hypermetric line of eight syllables.
Author: Unknown
Source: Manyoshu
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