草枕旅の翁と思ほして
針ぞ賜へる縫はむ物もが
針ぞ賜へる縫はむ物もが
- Roma-ji
-
Kusamakura tabi no okina to omohoshite hari zo tamaeru nuwamu mono mo ga
- English Translation
-
Thinking of me as
an old man on his travels,
grass for his pillow,
you gave me a needle—now
I need only things to sew!
- Meaning
- Thinking of me as an old man on a journey, you have given me needles—now if only I had something to sew!
- Commentary
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Book Eighteen 4128
Headnote: "Four playful poems sent by Ōtomo no Sukune Ikenushi, secretary of Echizen Province."
The poet says that his friend must have given him needles thinking him an old traveler, and wishes he had something to sew. Having received needles from Yakamochi, Ikenushi expresses his thanks in a poem full of humor.
Ōtomo no Ikenushi was a member of the Ōtomo clan who served as secretary of Etchū while Yakamochi was governor there, exchanging many poems and letters with him. At this time he had been transferred to the post of secretary of Echizen.
The accompanying letter is a piece of playful prose imitating a legal document: while expressing surprise and joy at an unexpected gift, it jokingly accuses the sender of exchanging goods, likening this to a crime under the legal codes, and demands a swift reply. It is dated the twelfth of the eleventh month of 749. The left note to 4131 says, "The poems in reply to these have been lost and cannot be found," so Yakamochi's replies do not survive.
First line, "kusamakura": a pillow word for "journey," from the hardship of sleeping on grass while traveling.
Second line, "tabi no okina to": Ikenushi likens himself to an old traveler, regarding himself, at his post in the provinces, as a man on a journey.
Third line, "omohoshite": "omohosu" is an honorific of "omou," "you thinking so."
Fourth line, "hari zo tamaeru": the emphatic "zo" forms a kakari-musubi construction with the attributive "ru." He suggests the needles were given to mend his clothes on the road.
Last line, "nuwamu mono mo ga": "mo ga" is a particle of wishing, "if only I had something to sew." He ends with mock innocence: he has needles but nothing to sew. "Okina" echoes "okinasabi semu" in 4133, running through the playful group.
- Author
- Ōtomo no Ikenushi
- Source
- Manyoshu
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