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
twists
Along the
paths
paths
Of my
devotion—
devotion—
I long to
see it
see it
Again and
again.
again.
My heart
Will
never abandon
never abandon
This
mountain,
mountain,
Though
the clouds
the clouds
Conceal
it from my view.
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
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
|