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Man'yoshu #8
Sunday, 25 October 2009 09:29 In Nikitatsu
we have waited for moonrise
so we could set sail.
The tide's in our favor now,
so here, let's take to our oars!
As usual, corrections and suggestions appreciated.
original:
Nikitatsu ni
funanori semu to
tsuki mateba
shio mo kanainu
ima wa kogiidena
---L.
we have waited for moonrise
so we could set sail.
The tide's in our favor now,
so here, let's take to our oars!
—23 October 2009
Original by Princess Nukata at the behest of Empress Saimei (though also attributed to the Empress herself by some sources). Written in 661 at the start of a military expedition to Korea that echoed an earlier one the Empress had participated in before her accession, which had also anchored in the same port. Like the previous expedition, this was also a failure -- not only couldn't Japan prevent the allied kingdom of Paekche from being conquered by Silla, but the Empress died in transit. I'm a little shaky on the grammar in the fourth line of this one, but that seems to be the drift, so to speak.As usual, corrections and suggestions appreciated.
original:
Nikitatsu ni
funanori semu to
tsuki mateba
shio mo kanainu
ima wa kogiidena
---L.