醤酢に蒜搗きかてて鯛願ふ
我れにな見えそ水葱の羹
我れにな見えそ水葱の羹
- Roma-ji
-
Hishio su ni hiru tsukikatete tai negau ware ni na mie so nagi no atsumono
- English Translation
-
With soy sauce and vinegar,
mixed with pounded wild garlic,
sea bream is my wish—
so do not show to me
that broth of water-leek!
- Meaning
- I long for sea bream with soy sauce and vinegar mixed with pounded wild garlic—so don't let me see any broth of water-leek!
- Commentary
-
Book Sixteen Poems with Tales of Origin and Miscellaneous Poems 3829
Headnote: "A poem on vinegar, soy sauce, wild garlic, sea bream and water-leek."
The poet says that he longs for sea bream dipped in soy sauce and vinegar mixed with garlic, so no one should show him a broth of water-leek. It humorously portrays a glutton's craving for a feast while weaving in five foods.
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, "hishio su ni," means "with soy sauce and vinegar," bringing in both.
Second line, "hiru tsukikatete," means "mixing in pounded wild garlic," bringing in the garlic.
Third line, "tai negau," means "wishing for sea bream," bringing in the bream and modifying ware in the fourth line.
Fourth line, "ware ni na mie so," means "do not show me." The prohibition na... so conveys his wish not to be let down.
Final line, "nagi no atsumono," means "a broth of water-leek," bringing in the water-leek. Inverted to end on a noun, it saves the unwanted plain dish for last to raise a laugh.
- Author
- Naga no Okimaro
- Source
- Manyoshu
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Kō nureru tō ni na yori so kawakuma no kusobuna hameru itaki meyatsuko
- Next Poem
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Tamabahaki kariko Kamamaro muro no ki to natsume ga moto to kakihakamu tame