今日よりは天の河霧立ち別れ
いかなる空に逢はむとすらむ
いかなる空に逢はむとすらむ
- Roma-ji
-
Kyō yori wa Ama no kawagiri tachiwakare ikanaru sora ni awamu to suramu
- English Translation
-
From this day onward,
parted as the river mist
of Heaven rises,
under what sky, I wonder,
shall we ever meet again
- Meaning
- From today we are parted, as the mist rises over the River of Heaven; under what sky, I wonder, shall we ever meet again?
- Commentary
-
Book Ten Miscellaneous Poems II 399
On the day of Tanabata, the poet is parted as if separated by the mist rising over the River of Heaven, and wonders under what sky they will ever meet again. Grieving a parting with no fixed day of meeting, unlike the Herdsman and Weaver who meet once a year, the poem seems to mourn a death.
The next poem, 400, also sings of Tanabata, saying that the Weaver can rely on this day next year while the poet feels forlorn, so two poems drawing on Tanabata are set together.
The first line, "kyō yori wa," singles out "from today" with "wa."
The second line, "Ama no kawagiri," refers to the mist rising over the River of Heaven, suggesting the night of Tanabata.
The third line, "tachiwakare," means to part, using "tachi" (rise) by association with the mist.
The fourth line, "ikanaru sora ni," asks under what sky.
The final line, "awamu to suramu," combines the conjectural "mu" and "ramu": shall we meet? It is the same final line as poem 358 of this book.
- Author
- Kiyohara no Motosuke
- Source
- Shika Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Oitatade karenu to kikishi ko no moto no ikade nageki no mori to naruramu
- Next Poem
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Tanabata wa nochi no kyō o mo tanomuramu kokorobosoki wa waga mi narikeri