天の河岩越す波の立ち居つつ
秋の七日の今日をしぞ待つ
秋の七日の今日をしぞ待つ
- Roma-ji
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Ama no kawa iwa kosu nami no tachiitsutsu aki no nanuka no kyō o shi zo matsu
- English Translation
-
The River of Heaven,
like the waves that climb its rocks,
rising and sinking,
for this seventh day of autumn,
for this day alone I waited
- Meaning
- Like the waves that climb the rocks of the River of Heaven, rising and falling, restless I have waited for this day, the seventh of autumn.
- Commentary
-
Book Five Autumn Poems I 240
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on Tanabata."
The poet says that like the waves that climb the rocks of the River of Heaven, rising and subsiding, he has waited restlessly for this day, the seventh of autumn, standing up and sitting down again. The restless heart longing for the once-yearly meeting is likened to the motion of the waves.
From 239 to 247, nine Tanabata poems stand under the headnote "Composed on Tanabata," taking up from many angles the meeting of the Weaver Maid and the Herdsman across the River of Heaven.
The poet is listed as "anonymous," and the composer's name has not come down to us.
The first line, "Ama no kawa," means "the River of Heaven," taking up the first line of the preceding poem.
The second line, "iwa kosu nami no," means "of the waves that climb the rocks," and the first two lines form a preface leading into "tachii."
The third line, "tachiitsutsu," layers waves rising and subsiding with a person standing up and sitting down, showing restlessness. "Tsutsu" expresses repetition.
The fourth line, "aki no nanuka no," means "of the seventh of autumn," pointing to the day of Tanabata.
In the last line, "shi" is an intensive particle, and the particle "zo" with the attributive "matsu" forms a kakarimusubi pattern: "it is this very day I have waited for."
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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Ama no kawa tōki watari wa nakeredomo kimi ga funade wa toshi ni koso mate
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Kyō yori wa ama no kawara wa asenanan sokoi to mo naku tada watarinan