久方の天の香具山出づる日も
我が方にこそ光さすらめ
我が方にこそ光さすらめ
- Roma-ji
-
Hisakata no Ama no Kaguyama izuru hi mo waga kata ni koso hikari sasurame
- English Translation
-
Even the sun that
rises from Mount Kagu
of the heavens high —
it is toward my side, surely,
that it sends its shining light
- Meaning
- Even the sun rising over heavenly Mount Kagu must surely be shining its light toward me.
- Commentary
-
Book Ten Miscellaneous Poems II 379
Even the morning sun rising from heavenly Mount Kagu, the poet says, must be shining its light toward him. The poem may be read as expressing the pride of one who, as emperor, receives heaven's blessing, and his thoughts on the sunlight that illuminates the land.
The first line, "hisakata no," is a pillow word for "ama" (heaven).
The second line, "Ama no Kaguyama," names a poetic place in Yamato Province, a mountain said to have descended from heaven. Poem 302 of Book Nine also sings of Mount Kagu.
The third line, "izuru hi mo," refers to the rising sun, added with "mo."
The fourth line, "waga kata ni koso," singles out his own side with "koso."
The final line, "hikari sasurame," closes "koso" with the perfective of "ramu," a kakari-musubi: it must be shining.
- Author
- Retired Emperor Sutoku
- Source
- Shika Wakashu
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Momotose no hana ni yadorite sugushiteki kono yo wa chō no yume ni zarikeru
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