なでしこが花取り持ちてうつらうつら
見まくの欲しき君にもあるかも
見まくの欲しき君にもあるかも
- Roma-ji
-
Nadeshiko ga hana torimochite utsurautsura mimaku no hoshiki kimi ni mo aru kamo
- English Translation
-
Holding in my hand
a blossom of the garden pinks
I gaze and gaze on;
just so you are one I'd wish
to look upon forever
- Meaning
- As I hold a pink in my hand and gaze and gaze at it, so you are one I long to look upon forever.
- Commentary
-
Book Twenty Miscellaneous Poems 4449
Headnote: "On the eighteenth day, the Minister of the Left held a banquet at the residence of the Minister of Military Affairs, Tachibana no Naramaro; three poems."
As I hold a pink and gaze and gaze, so you are one I long to look upon: a poem praising the host, Tachibana no Naramaro. According to the headnote, it comes from a banquet given on the eighteenth of the fifth month by the Minister of the Left Tachibana no Moroe at the residence of his son, Minister of Military Affairs Naramaro. The left note attributes it to Prince Fune, Minister of Ceremonial. Following the month's earlier banquet poems, it again draws on the pinks in praising the host.
The author, Prince Fune, was a son of Prince Toneri. At this time he was Minister of Ceremonial.
The first line, "nadeshiko ga," names the pinks that recur in the banquet poems around here.
The second line, "hana torimochite," means "holding the flower in my hand."
The third line, "utsurautsura," hypermetric, means "intently, gazing on." The first three lines form a simile leading to mimaku.
The fourth line, "mimaku no hoshiki," means "that I wish to look upon."
The closing line, "kimi ni mo aru kamo," "such a one you are," ends in the exclamatory kamo.
- Author
- Prince Fune
- Source
- Manyoshu
- Prev Poem
-
Ajisai no yae saku gotoku yatsuyo ni o imase waga seko mitsutsu shinowamu
- Next Poem
-
Waga seko ga yado no nadeshiko chirame ya mo iya hatsuhana ni saki wa masu tomo