久方の雨の降る日をただ独り
山辺にをれば埋もれたりけり
山辺にをれば埋もれたりけり
- Roma-ji
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Hisakata no ame no furu hi o tada hitori yamabe ni oreba umoretarikeri
- English Translation
-
On a day of rain
falling from the far heavens,
all alone I stay
here beside the mountains,
and buried deep I feel.
- Meaning
- On a day when the rain falls from the far heavens, staying all alone by the mountains, I feel buried and weighed down.
- Commentary
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Book Nineteen Miscellaneous Love Poems 1252
Headnote: "Sent to Lady Ki"
The poet says that staying alone by the mountains on a rainy day, he feels buried. The headnote shows it was sent to Lady Ki. Complaining of the gloom of being shut in by rain, alone by the mountains far from others, he conveys the loneliness of not being able to see her. Lady Ki was the wife of Prince Aki and exchanged poems with Yakamochi.
The author, written as "Middle Counselor Yakamochi," is Ōtomo no Yakamochi. A son of Ōtomo no Tabito, he rose to Middle Counselor. He is thought to have been deeply involved in compiling the Man'yōshū and is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets. He is known for his poem "kasasagi no" in the Hyakunin Isshu.
A similar poem appears in Book Four of the Man'yōshū, with the final line "ibusekarikeri."
First line, "hisakata no," is a pillow word leading to "ame," rain.
Second line, "ame no furu hi o," means "on a day when rain falls."
Third line, "tada hitori," means "all alone," deepening the loneliness of being without her.
Fourth line, "yamabe ni oreba," means "when I stay by the mountains," with "ba" after the perfective form expressing a condition.
Final line, "umoretarikeri," means "I feel buried," speaking of a heavy, cheerless heart, with "keri" expressing a sigh of realization.
- Author
- Otomo no Yakamochi
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
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Kaze hayami mine no kuzuha no tomosureba ayakariyasuki hito no kokoro ka
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Ame furite niwa ni tamareru nigorimizu ta ga sumaba ka wa kage no miyubeki