さう莢に延ひおほとれる屎葛
絶ゆることなく宮仕へせむ
絶ゆることなく宮仕へせむ
- Roma-ji
-
Sōkyō ni hai ōtoreru kusokazura tayuru koto naku miyazukae semu
- English Translation
-
On the honey locust,
twining, sprawling everywhere,
the stinkvine creeps—
so, never breaking off,
shall I serve at court.
- Meaning
- Like the stinkvine sprawling and twining over the honey locust tree, never breaking off, so shall I serve at court.
- Commentary
-
Book Sixteen Poems with Tales of Origin and Miscellaneous Poems 3855
Headnote: "Two poems by Prince Takamiya on several things."
The poet vows to serve at court without end, like the stinkvine that clings endlessly to the honey locust. The drop from the vulgar names of honey locust and stinkvine to the formal resolve of court service raises a laugh.
It is thought to be a banquet game of weaving in the names of things, the same device as Naga no Okimaro's poems in this book.
Prince Takamiya is a royal about whom nothing further is known.
First line, "sōkyō ni," means "on the honey locust," a thorny deciduous tree whose pods were used in medicine and the like.
Second line, "hai ōtoreru," means "twining and sprawling."
Third line, "kusokazura," is the old name of the skunkvine, a foul-smelling creeper. The first three lines form a preface leading into tayuru koto naku in the fourth line.
Fourth line, "tayuru koto naku," means "never breaking off," drawing on the vine's long reach.
Final line, "miyazukae semu," means "I shall serve at court." The comedy lies in the drop from a vulgar vine to a solemn vow of service.
- Author
- Prince Takamiya
- Source
- Manyoshu
- Prev Poem
-
Yasu yasu mo ikeraba aramu o hata ya hata munagi o toru to kawa ni nagaru na
- Next Poem
-
Baramoni no tsukureru oda o hamu karasu manabuta harete hatahoko ni ori