音高き鼓の山のうちはへて
楽しき御代となるぞうれしき
楽しき御代となるぞうれしき
- Roma-ji
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Oto takaki tsuzumi no yama no uchihaete tanoshiki miyo to naru zo ureshiki
- English Translation
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Loud the sound it makes,
like Tsuzumi Mountain's drum
beating on and on,
a joyful reign is coming,
and how glad it makes my heart
- Meaning
- Like the loud drum that gives Tsuzumi Mountain its name, beating on and on, the reign goes on and becomes a joyful one, and that makes me glad.
- Commentary
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Book Five Celebration Poems 315
The place name Tsuzumi Mountain, the Drum, is drawn in by 'loud the sound', and uchi, to beat a drum, leads into uchihaete, going on and on, as the poet rejoices in a long and joyful reign. Weaving in the sound of drums and joy, the poem evokes the festive bustle of a celebration.
From poem 315 through poem 319 in this book come poems that weave in place names such as Tsuzumi Mountain, Asahi Village, Okoto Village and Nima Village to celebrate a well-ordered reign. Celebrating the reign by weaving in place names is a form often seen in the poems of the Yuki and Suki provinces at the Great Thanksgiving Festival.
First line, 'oto takaki', means loud the sound, suggesting a drum and leading into tsuzumi in the second line.
Second line, 'tsuzumi no yama no', is a mountain named for the drum, linked by the drum to uchi in the third line.
Third line, 'uchihaete', means going on and on, a pivot word in which uchi also means to beat a drum, related to tsuzumi in the second line.
Fourth line, 'tanoshiki miyo to', means into a joyful reign.
Final line, 'naru zo ureshiki', means how glad that it becomes, zo binding with the attributive ureshiki.
- Source
- Kinyo Wakashu
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Ikemizu no soko sae niou hanazakura miru tomo akaji chiyo no haru made
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Kumori naki toyo no akari ni ōmi naru asahi no sato wa hikari sashisou