Taruhime no ura o kogu fune kajima ni mo nara no wagie o wasurete omoe ya

垂姫の浦を漕ぐ舟梶間にも
奈良の我家を忘れて思へや

Roma-ji: Taruhime no ura o kogu fune kajima ni mo nara no wagie o wasurete omoe ya
English Translation: Like the boat that rows
across the Bay of Taruhime,
not one oar-stroke's space
could I forget my own home
far away in Nara.
Meaning: Not even for the space of one oar-stroke of the boat rowing across Taruhime Bay could I forget my home in Nara.
Commentary: Book Eighteen 4048

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Poems in which each expressed his feelings while sightseeing on reaching the lagoon."
The poet says that not even for the space of one oar-stroke of a boat on Taruhime Bay could he forget his home in Nara. In the midst of everyone's pleasure on the outing, he speaks of his longing for his distant home in the capital, a governor's homesickness that contrasts with the bright call to "play with joyful hearts" in the preceding poem.
Ōtomo no Yakamochi was the son of Ōtomo no Tabito, and from 746 he served as governor of Etchū. He is believed to have played a central role in compiling the Man'yōshū, and this book has the character of a poetic diary of his years in Etchū.

First line, "Taruhime no": beginning with the same line as the preceding poem, it is the third of the three Taruhime poems.
Second line, "ura o kogu fune": taking up "ura o kogitsutsu" of the preceding poem. The lines so far form a preface; the boat's oar leads to "kajima" in the third line.
Third line, "kajima ni mo": "even in the interval of one oar-stroke," that is, the briefest moment.
Fourth line, "Nara no wagie o": his own house in the capital, setting the bay of Etchū before him against distant Nara.
Last line, "wasurete omoe ya": "ya" is rhetorical, "could I ever forget? No." Where the preceding poem urges enjoyment of the day, this one sings of a heart that does not forget the capital even in the midst of play, adding shadow to the sequence.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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