一二の目のみにはあらず五六三
四さへありけり双六のさえ
四さへありけり双六のさえ
- Roma-ji
-
Ichi ni no me nomi ni wa arazu go roku san shi sae arikeri sugoroku no sae
- English Translation
-
Not one eye, not two,
are the only eyes it has—
five and six and three,
and four besides, I find, are there
on the sugoroku dice!
- Meaning
- It has not just one or two eyes—there are five and six and three, and even four, on the sugoroku dice!
- Commentary
-
Book Sixteen Poems with Tales of Origin and Miscellaneous Poems 3827
Headnote: "A poem on sugoroku dice."
The poem says that sugoroku dice have not only one and two pips but five, six, three and four as well. It jokes on the discovery that while people have one or two eyes, a die has six, and the startling device of lining up numbers is its chief charm.
This is one of eight poems by Naga no Okimaro, playful banquet pieces composed on the spot by weaving in the names of things. The wit lies in fitting every object named in the title neatly into a single poem.
Naga no Okimaro was a court poet in the reigns of Empress Jitō and Emperor Monmu, bearing the title Imiki. He left poems composed on imperial outings and many impromptu verses weaving in the names of things.
First line, "ichi ni no me," means "the eyes of one and two." It also hints at a person having one or two eyes, the starting point of the wordplay.
Second line, "nomi ni wa arazu," means "are not the only ones," and the poem pauses here.
Third line, "go roku san," means five, six, three—a whole line made only of numbers, a bold and unparalleled expression.
Fourth line, "shi sae arikeri," means "and even four is there." Keri marks a sudden realization, and all six numbers have now appeared.
Final line, "sugoroku no sae," means "the sugoroku dice." Ending on a noun, it reveals the theme last, like the answer to a riddle.
- Author
- Naga no Okimaro
- Source
- Manyoshu
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