我が国の大和島根の神たちを
今日の禊に手向けつるかな
今日の禊に手向けつるかな
- Roma-ji
-
Waga kuni no yamato shimane no kamitachi o kyō no misogi ni tamuketsuru kana
- English Translation
-
To the gods who dwell
in the islands of Yamato,
this our native land,
at today's purification
offerings have now been made.
- Meaning
- To the gods of our land, the islands of Yamato, I have made offerings at today's purification.
- Commentary
-
Summer Poems 178
Headnote: "The purification of the sixth month"
At the purification held on the last day of the sixth month, the poet tells of making offerings and prayers to the gods of his land. Calling broadly upon the gods of the islands of Yamato, he shows a reverence for the land and its deities fitting for one who stood in a position to govern the realm.
The Ruijū text places this poem in the miscellaneous section.
Line 1, "our land," shows a broad view surveying the whole country.
Line 2, Yamato shimane, is an elegant name for Japan pictured as islands.
Line 3, "the gods," calls upon the deities dwelling in the land.
Line 4, "at today's purification," marks the day of the sixth-month rite and takes up "where they purify" from the two preceding poems.
Line 5: tsuru is the attributive of the perfective tsu and kana an exclamation, expressing the feeling of having completed the offerings.
- Author
- Minamoto no Sanetomo
- Source
- Kinkaishu
- Prev Poem
-
Misogi suru kaya no nokiba ni hiku shide no matsuwaretsukite natsu o todomemu
- Next Poem
-
Adabito no ada ni aru mi no adagoto o kyō minazuki no harae sutetsu to iu