Emperor Jyomei (593-641 AD)



In the land of Yamato

there are many mountains,

though none so sweet as Kagu,

mountain of the gods.


I climb up

and see all the earth—

the smoke that rises

when people cook;

the sea, and all the birds

that flit around.


What a beautiful land

this is—Yamato.




Note: Yamato is the ancient name for Japan and is also an area in modern Nara.




Original Text

Modern Text

Pronunciation




舒明天皇

舒明天皇

Jyo-mei Tenno




山常庭

大和には

Yamato niha

村山有等

群山あれど

Murayama aredo

取與呂布

とりよろふ

Tori-yorou

天乃香具山

天の香具山

Ame no Kaguyama

騰立

登り立ち

Nobori tachi

國見乎為者

国見をすれば

Kunimi wo sureba

國原波

国原は

Kunihara ha

煙立龍

煙立ち立つ

Keburi tachi-tatsu

海原波

海原は

Unahara ha

加萬目立多都

鴎立ち立つ

Kamame tachi-tatsu

怜A國曽

うまし国ぞ

Umashi kuni zo

蜻嶋

蜻蛉島

Akizu-shima

八間跡能國者

大和の国は

Yamato no Kuni ha





Translation Notes


The poem made by emperor while he was seeing people from Heavens’s [Kagu/Fragrant-Ingredient] Mountain.


大和には

in Yamato county

群山あれど

there are many mountains though

とりよろふ

Especially (word to applaud 香久山)

天の香具山

Heavens’s [Kagu/Fragrant-Ingredient] Mountain

登り立ち

rises

国見をすれば

seeing from the top

国原は

On the land

煙立ち立つ

(I see) smoke for cooking

海原は

On the water

鴎立ち立つ

(I see) birds are flitting around

うまし国ぞ

what a beautiful country

蜻蛉島

(this word always leads “yamatai-kok”)

大和の国は

yamato county is



Year: 
2013