我妹子が心なぐさに遣らむため
沖つ島なる白玉もがも
沖つ島なる白玉もがも
- Roma-ji
-
Wagimoko ga kokoro nagusa ni yaramu tame okitsushima naru shiratama mo ga mo
- English Translation
-
To send to my love,
something to soothe her heart—
for that, how I wish
I had a white pearl from
the island far out at sea.
- Meaning
- To send something to comfort my dear wife's heart, how I wish I had a pearl from the island far out at sea.
- Commentary
-
Book Eighteen 4104
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "A poem wishing for pearls to send to my home in the capital [with short poems]."
The poet wishes he had a pearl from the offshore island to send as a comfort to his beloved wife. Thinking how lonely she must be so far away, it carries a husband's tender wish to console her.
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, "wagimoko ga": "wagimoko" is an affectionate term for a wife or lover, here his wife in the capital.
Second line, "kokoro nagusa ni": "nagusa" means consolation, taking up "nagekuramu kokoro nagusa ni" in the long poem.
Third line, "yaramu tame": "mu" is softening, "in order to send."
Fourth line, "okitsushima naru": taking up "okitsushima," the first line of the preceding poem, "that lies on the offshore island."
Last line, "shiratama mo ga mo": "mo ga mo" is a particle of wishing, "if only I had a pearl." Like "awabidama mo ga" in the preceding poem, it ends with a wish, and the two poems form a pair.
- Author
- Otomo no Yakamochi
- Source
- Manyoshu
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Okitsushima iyuki watarite kazuku chifu awabidama mo ga tsutsumite yaramu
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Shiratama no iotsu tsudoi o te ni musubi okosemu ama wa mugashiku mo aru ka