からたちと茨刈り除け倉建てむ
屎遠くまれ櫛造る刀自
屎遠くまれ櫛造る刀自
- Roma-ji
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Karatachi to ubara karisoke kura tatemu kuso tōku mare kushi tsukuru toji
- English Translation
-
Trifoliate thorns
and brambles, cut them away—
we'll put up a storehouse;
do your business far from here,
mistress of the combs!
- Meaning
- Cut away the trifoliate orange and the brambles—we're going to build a storehouse. Do your business far from here, you comb-making mistress!
- Commentary
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Book Sixteen Poems with Tales of Origin and Miscellaneous Poems 3832
Headnote: "A poem by Imbe no Obito on various things; one poem [his given name has been forgotten]."
Since they mean to clear away the thorny orange and brambles to build a storehouse, the poet asks the comb-making woman to relieve herself somewhere far off. It is a playful poem weaving in the trifoliate orange, brambles, a storehouse, dung and combs, and it follows Naga no Okimaro's eight poems.
The headnote notes that the poet's given name has been forgotten. It is thought to be a banquet game of improvising with the names of several things.
Imbe no Obito was a member of the Imbe clan, which oversaw rituals, and held the title Obito. His given name is not recorded.
First line, "karatachi to," means "trifoliate orange and," a thorny tree set beside the brambles of the second line.
Second line, "ubara karisoke," means "cutting away the brambles."
Third line, "kura tatemu," means "we'll build a storehouse," and the poem pauses here.
Fourth line, "kuso tōku mare," means "do your business far off." Like the "dung-fed carp" of poem 3828, it deliberately brings in a vulgar word for laughter.
Final line, "kushi tsukuru toji," means "you comb-making mistress." Ending on a noun of address, it brings in the comb.
- Author
- Imbe no Obito
- Source
- Manyoshu
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