Amazakaru hina ni aru ware o utagata mo himo tokisakete omohosurame ya

天離る鄙にある我れをうたがたも
紐解き放けて思ほすらめや

Roma-ji: Amazakaru hina ni aru ware o utagata mo himo tokisakete omohosurame ya
English Translation: Far as heaven's edge,
here in the country am I—
could you ever, then,
loosen your cords and turn
your heart in thought toward me
Meaning: Here I am in this country far from the capital—surely you would never loosen your cords and open your heart in thinking of me?
Commentary: Book Seventeen 3949

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Poems from a banquet gathered at the residence of Governor Ōtomo no Sukune Yakamochi on the night of the seventh day of the eighth month"
Surely he would never loosen his cords and think of me with an open heart—a playful answer to the preceding poem. This is one of the poems from a banquet held on the night of the seventh day of the eighth month of 746, when the provincial officials gathered at the residence of Yakamochi, newly arrived as Governor of Etchū. Responding to Yakamochi's poem about keeping his cord tied for his wife, Ikenushi, as if speaking from a woman's position, pretends to sulk that he will never be so intimate with him—a banquet jest.
The poet, Ōtomo no Ikenushi, served as Secretary of Etchū under Governor Yakamochi. A member of the same clan and well versed in Chinese verse and prose, he exchanged many poems and letters with Yakamochi during the Etchū years.
The left note reads, "The above poem is by Secretary Ōtomo no Sukune Ikenushi."

First line, "amazakaru": a pillow word for hina, the same opening as the preceding poem, 3948.
Second line, "hina ni aru ware o": "me, here in the provinces," meaning Ikenushi himself.
Third line, "utagata mo": an adverb meaning "by no means" or "surely not," used with a rhetorical question or negative. The same word appears in 3968 of this book.
Fourth line, "himo tokisakete": "loosening your cords," taking up "the cord that was tied I have not undone" in the preceding poem, 3948.
Fifth line, "omohosurame ya": omohosu is honorific for omou, and rame ya is rhetorical—"would you think so? surely not."
Author: Ōtomo no Ikenushi
Source: Manyoshu
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