秋と言へば心ぞ痛きうたて異に
花になそへて見まく欲りかも
花になそへて見まく欲りかも
- Roma-ji
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Aki to ieba kokoro zo itaki utate ke ni hana ni nasoete mimaku hori kamo
- English Translation
-
When they speak of autumn
my heart aches within me so,
strangely, more than ever;
is it that I long to see
my love likened to a flower?
- Meaning
- Whenever autumn is spoken of, my heart aches, strangely more than ever. Is it because I long to see my love, likening her to the flowers?
- Commentary
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Book Twenty Miscellaneous Poems 4307
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Poems on the Tanabata festival, eight poems."
When autumn is spoken of my heart aches, more than ever; is it because I long to see my love in the likeness of flowers? The poem sings of the poignancy of love as the Tanabata season arrives. Second of the eight poems Yakamochi composed alone beneath the River of Heaven, it expresses the ache of one awaiting a meeting as feeling stirred by the flowers of autumn.
The author, Ōtomo no Yakamochi, son of Ōtomo no Tabito, was at this time Junior Assistant Minister of Military Affairs.
The first line, "aki to ieba," means "when autumn is mentioned," marking the season of Tanabata.
The second line, "kokoro zo itaki," is resolved by zo with the attributive itaki. The poem pauses here.
The third line, "utate ke ni," combines utate, "terribly, strangely," with ke ni, "especially," doubling the intensity of the ache.
The fourth line, "hana ni nasoete," means "likening her to the flowers," laying the image of the beloved over autumn blossoms.
The closing line, "mimaku hori kamo," uses mimaku hori, "wishing to see," and kamo, exclamation tinged with doubt, ending as the poet asks himself the reason for the ache.
- Author
- Otomo no Yakamochi
- Source
- Manyoshu
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