大汝少御神の作れりし
妹背の山を見るぞうれしき
妹背の山を見るぞうれしき
- Roma-ji
-
Ōnamuchi Sukunamikami no tsukurerishi Imose no yama o miru zo ureshiki
- English Translation
-
Ōnamuchi
and the god Sukunami
shaped them long ago,
the Imose Hills, and how
glad I am to see them now!
- Meaning
- How glad I am to see the Imose Hills, which the gods Ōnamuchi and Sukunami made!
- Commentary
-
Book Ten Kagura Songs 619
Headnote: "Composed on a journey"
The poem expresses gladness at seeing the Imose Hills, made by the gods Ōnamuchi and Sukunami. The headnote shows it was composed while on a journey. It conveys the joy of seeing hills said to have been fashioned by the gods who shaped the land, together with thoughts of the age of the gods. The name of the hills, sister and brother facing each other, also carries thoughts of a dear one.
The author, written as "Hitomaro," is Kakinomoto no Hitomaro. A court poet who served in the reigns of Empress Jitō and Emperor Monmu, he is revered as the Saint of Poetry.
A poem of nearly the same import appears in Book Seven of the Man'yōshū.
First line, "Ōnamuchi," is another name for Ōkuninushi, a god who shaped the land.
Second line, "Sukunamikami no," means "and the god Sukunami," that is, Sukunahikona, who shaped the land with Ōnamuchi.
Third line, "tsukurerishi," means "which they made," with "ri" perfective and "shi" the attributive form of the past auxiliary "ki."
Fourth line, "Imose no yama o," means "the Imose Hills," the Imo and Se hills of Kii Province that face each other across the Ki River.
Final line, "miru zo ureshiki," means "how glad I am to see," with the binding particle "zo" resolved by "ureshiki," the attributive form of the adjective "ureshi." It shares the word "ureshi" with the second line of the next poem, 620, "kami mo ureshi to."
- Author
- Kakinomoto no Hitomaro
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Ashihiki no yama no sakakiba tokiwa naru kage ni sakayuru kami no kine kana
- Next Poem
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Mezurashiki kyō no Kasuga no yaotome o kami mo ureshi to shinobazarame ya