Suruga no umi oshibe ni ouru hamatsuzura imashi o tanomi haha ni tagainu

駿河の海おし辺に生ふる浜つづら
汝を頼み母に違ひぬ

Roma-ji: Suruga no umi oshibe ni ouru hamatsuzura imashi o tanomi haha ni tagainu
English Translation: The sea of Suruga—
by its rocky shore there grows
the beach-creeping vine:
trusting you alone, my love,
I went against my mother.
Meaning: Like the beach vine that grows along the rocky shore of the Suruga sea, I put my trust in you and went against my mother.
Commentary: Book Fourteen Azuma Poems 3359

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Sōmon (Love Exchanges)"
Like the beach vine trailing along the shore, a woman confesses that, relying on her lover, she has defied her mother's wishes. The resolve of having opposed a parent for love echoes against the uncertainty that follows.
The text notes a variant last line, "oya ni tagainu" (I went against my parents). The left note reads "The five poems above are from Suruga Province," and this is the last of them. It reflects a custom in which mothers had a strong say in their daughters' marriages.
The poet is unknown. The Azuma uta are thought to have been sung among the people of the eastern provinces, and they are marked by plain, open-hearted expression mixed with local dialect.

First line, "suruga no umi": Suruga Bay. With six syllables the line is hypermetric, opening on the sea with an unhurried rhythm.
Second line, "oshibe ni ouru": "Oshibe" is thought to mean a rocky shore. "Ouru" introduces the vine growing there.
Third line, "hamatsuzura": A creeping vine on the beach; because it stretches long, it carries the sense of unbroken trust. The first three lines form a preface.
Fourth line, "imashi o tanomi": "Imashi" is an intimate "you." As the vine clings, she leans on him.
Final line, "haha ni tagainu": "Tagainu" means "I have defied," with "nu" marking completion. The variant replaces "mother" with "parents."
Source: Manyoshu
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