Year
Nukata no Ookimi (a.k.a. Princess Nukata, 630-690 AD)
The scent of wine
And Miwa mountain—
Pleasant, green,
And hidden from
Nara’s sight.
So many twists
Along the paths
Of my devotion—
I long to see it
Again and again.
My heart
Will never abandon
This mountain,
Though the clouds
Conceal it from my view.
Original Text | Modern Text | Pronunciation |
額田王 | 額田王 | Nukata no Ookimi |
味酒 | 味酒 | Umasake |
三輪乃山 | 三輪の山 | Miwa no yama |
青丹吉 | あをによし | Ao ni yoshi |
奈良能山乃 | 奈良の山の | Nara no yama no |
山際 | 山の際に | Yama no ma ni |
伊隠萬代 | い隠るまで | Ikakuru made |
道隈 | 道の隈 | Michi no kuma |
伊積流萬代尓 | い積もるまでに | Itumoru made ni |
委曲毛 | つばらにも | Tsubara nimo |
見管行武雄 | 見つつ行かむを | Mitsutsu yukamu wo |
數々毛 | しばしばも | Shiba shiba mo |
見放武八萬雄 | 見放けむ山を | Samikemu yama wo |
情無 | 心なく | Kokoro naku |
雲乃 | 雲の | Kumo no |
隠障倍之也 | 隠さふべしや | Kakusau beshi ya |
Translation Notes
A poem by Nukata no Ookimi
味酒 | Flavor alcohol [This word leads Miwa] |
三輪の山 | Miwa ’s mountain [Miwa = three wheels] |
あをによし | Green excellent/pleasant/good [This phrase leads Nara] |
奈良の山の | Nara ’s mountain ’s |
山の際に | Mountain ’s at-this-time from |
い隠るまで | Seclude-onself/filled until [Until (Miwa) hides from those mountains] |
道の隈 | Path ’s corner |
い積もるまでに | Pile-up/accumulate until at [Walk through many of them (corner)] |
つばらにも | Entrust/devote also [As much as possible] |
見つつ行かむを | Seeing go not [Want to see] |
しばしばも | Again-and-again |
見放けむ山を | Desert/abandon not mountain |
心なく | Heart not |
雲の | Clouds ’s |
隠さふべしや | Conceal fold this |