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Kokinshu #605
Friday, 11 March 2011 07:03 Topic unknown.
Months and days have passed
without touching my true white bow
to lift, set, draw, shoot:
I get up -- lie down again --
unable to sleep at night.
te mo furede
tsukihi henikeru
shiramayumi
okifushi yoru wa
i koso nerarene
---L.
Months and days have passed
without touching my true white bow
to lift, set, draw, shoot:
I get up -- lie down again --
unable to sleep at night.
— 7 November 2010
Original by Ki no Tsurayuki. The pivot-words layer deeply in this one: okiru, fusu, yoru, and iru can mean, with respect to the bow, "raise," "set" (an arrow), "bend," and "shoot" and, with respect to the speaker, "get up," "lie down," "night," and "sleep." While the bow imagery reminds me of things more commonly symbolized with a spear or sword, it would be indecorous to mention that. Left out: mayumi ("true bow") is also "spindlewood," which is often included in translations even though it's not a typical wood for making a bow.te mo furede
tsukihi henikeru
shiramayumi
okifushi yoru wa
i koso nerarene
---L.