白波の磯越道なる能登瀬川
後も逢ひ見むみをし絶えずば
後も逢ひ見むみをし絶えずば
- Roma-ji
-
Shiranami no isokoseji naru Notosegawa nochi mo aimimu mio shi taezuba
- English Translation
-
Where the white waves
cross the rocks along the road,
O Notose River—
we shall meet again hereafter,
if the current does not fail.
- Meaning
- O Notose River, by the road where white waves surge over the rocks: we shall meet again hereafter, if only the current of the stream, and my life, do not run out.
- Commentary
-
Love Poems 480
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on the theme of love at famous places"
From the name of the Notose River by the road where white waves surge over the rocks, the poet draws nochi, "hereafter," and vows that as long as the stream's current, and his own life, do not fail, they will meet again. It draws on the wording of a Man'yōshū poem.
According to the notes in the base text, the original manuscript reads lines 2 and 3 as isokugaji naru nosegawa, corrected by the Ruijū text, and that correction is followed here. The Teika text reads isoragachi naru notosegawa.
Line 1 means "the white waves," leading to "crossing the rocks."
Line 2 means "on the road where waves cross the rocks."
Line 3 names the Notose River, whose sound leads to nochi in line 4.
Line 4 means "we shall meet hereafter," mu expressing intention; it takes up the hope of a night to meet in the preceding poem.
Line 5 plays on mio, the river's current and mi o, "my body": "if it does not run out"; shi is intensive.
- Author
- Minamoto no Sanetomo
- Source
- Kinkaishu
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Watatsumi ni nagare idetaru Shikamagawa shika mo taezu ya koiwatarinamu