天の川帰らぬ水をたなばたは
うらやましとや今朝は見るらむ
うらやましとや今朝は見るらむ
- Roma-ji
-
Ama no gawa kaeranu mizu o tanabata wa urayamashi to ya kesa wa miruramu
- English Translation
-
On the River of Heaven
the waters that never return:
does the Weaver Maid
with envy, I wonder,
gaze on them this morning?
- Meaning
- Does the Weaver Maid, this morning, gaze with envy on the waters of the River of Heaven that flow away and never return?
- Commentary
-
Book Three Autumn Poems 93
The author is listed here as an unnumbered poet, but the Shikashu attributes the poem to Hafuribe no Narinaka. On the morning after Tanabata, the poet imagines that the Weaver Maid, who must go home, envies the waters of the River of Heaven that flow on and never return.
The contrast between one who must return against her will and the water that never returns is vivid, deftly conveying the pain of the morning parting. The Tanabata sequence closes with this poem.
The first line, "ama no gawa," is the setting of Tanabata and concludes the run of River of Heaven poems that began in this book with 88.
The second line, "kaeranu mizu o," means "the water that does not return," contrasting with the stars who part and go home.
The third line, "tanabata wa," sets the Weaver Maid as the subject.
The fourth line, "urayamashi to ya," means "with envy, perhaps," with ya marking the question answered by ramu.
The last line, "kesa wa miruramu," asks "is she gazing this morning?" ending the Tanabata sequence on the morning after.
- Source
- Shika Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Tanabata no machitsuru hodo no kurushisa mo akanu wakare to izure masareri
- Next Poem
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Mizu kiyomi yadoreru aki no tsuki sae ya chiyo made kimi to sumamu to suramu