君が行く 道の長手(ﾅｶﾞﾃ)を繰り畳(ﾀﾀ)ね 焼き滅ぼさむ 天(ｱﾒ)の火もがも
狭野茅上娘子(ｻﾉﾉｵﾄｶﾞﾐｦﾄﾒ)
(現代語訳)
あなたが行く長い道のりを、手繰り寄せて畳み、焼き尽くしてくれる天の火(ひ)があったらよいのに。
I would like to get the heavenly fire burning,
To pull in, fold and extinguish the long road you are going.
Sanono Otogami Otome
(Vol.15 – 3724)
万葉集の中でも、光り輝く(とわたしが思う) 狭野弟上娘子の恋歌。配流され都を離れる恋人(夫)が行く長い道のりを手繰り寄せ焼き尽くしたい、惜別のというなんとも素晴らしい表現だ。
詞書に、「中臣朝臣宅守、蔵部の女嬬狭野の茅上の娘子を娶し時、勅して流罪に断じて、越前の国に配しき。ここに夫婦、別れ易く会ひ難さを相嘆き、各慟びの情を陳べて贈り答へる歌六十三首」とある。
狭野弟上娘子は、斎宮あるいは後宮の下級女官であったともいわれている。天平12年(740年)頃に中臣宅守と結婚するが、宅守は越前国に配流された。娘子の身分が問題視されたという説がある。
This is a famous love poem by Sanono Otogami Otome, one of the most brilliant in the Manyoshu, in my opinion. It is a wonderful expression of regret, of wanting to grab hold of her lover (husband) as he leaves the capital after being demoted, and burn down the long journey he is on.
The forward says, “When Nakatomi no Ason Takumori married Sanono Otogami Otome, low-level officer of Kurabe, he was exiled by imperial decree to Echizen Province. The couple lamented the difficulty of parting and the difficulty of seeing each other, and exchanged sixty-three poems expressing their grief.”
Sanono Otogami Otome is said to have been a low-ranking court lady in the Saigū or the harem. She married Nakatomi no Takumori around 740. He was then exiled to Echizen Province. There is a theory that her status was questioned.
