大船の上にし居れば天雲の
たどきも知らず歌ひこそ我が背
たどきも知らず歌ひこそ我が背
- Roma-ji
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Ōbune no ue ni shi oreba amagumo no tadoki mo shirazu utaikoso waga se
- English Translation
-
As I find myself
aboard a mighty vessel
like clouds in the sky
I know not where to turn—
sing me a song, my dear
- Meaning
- Here on the great ship, I am like a cloud adrift in the sky, with nothing to hold on to—oh, sing to me, my dear.
- Commentary
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Book Seventeen 3898
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "In the eleventh month, winter, of the second year of Tenpyō, when Lord Ōtomo, Governor-General of Dazaifu, was appointed Major Counselor (while keeping his post as before) and went up to the capital, his attendants took a separate sea route. Grieving over the journey, each set down his heart in these ten poems"
Aboard the great ship the speaker feels as helpless as a cloud in the sky, and begs a man on board to sing. In 730, when Ōtomo no Tabito, Governor-General of Dazaifu, was appointed Major Counselor and returned to the capital, his attendants traveled separately by sea and set down the sorrows of their voyage in ten poems. Because the last line addresses "waga se," the poem appears to be spoken from a woman's position, suggesting a scene in which song is sought to ease the loneliness on board.
The left note records the poet's name as unknown; he was one of the attendants of Tabito who traveled to the capital by sea.
First line, "ōbune no": "of the great ship," the vessel carrying the official party.
Second line, "ue ni shi oreba": shi is emphatic; "since I am aboard," a fulfilled condition giving the reason.
Third line, "amagumo no": "like clouds of heaven," drifting and unsettled, modifying tadoki in the manner of a pillow word.
Fourth line, "tadoki mo shirazu": tadoki means a handhold, a means to rely on—"not knowing what to do," expressing helplessness. The poem pauses here.
Fifth line, "utaikoso waga se": koso here is a final particle of request, "please sing." The line is hypermetric (eight morae), and the address "my dear" marks the poem as a woman's voice.
- Source
- Manyoshu
- Prev Poem
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Ōumi no okuka mo shirazu yuku ware o itsu kimasamu to toishi kora wa mo
- Next Poem
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Ama otome isari taku hi no obohoshiku Tsuno no matsubara omohoyuru kamo