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Short poems for loved one. Romantic, missing, losing, and deeply depressed poems from Man’yoshu

Man’yoshu is the oldest poem collection in Japan. 20 volumes in all. Both editors and the age of formation are unknown, but the completion of the whole volume is the Nara period around the end of the 8th century. It is considered certain that Otomo no Yakamochi was involved in the compilation. The number of poems is about 4500, of which 4200 are tanka.

This time, I would like to introduce a poem on the subject of love in Japanese and English.

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Best 10 love lyrics of Tanka poetry by famous Japanese poets

Classic 5-7-5-7-7 Tanka love lyrics in Japanese and English Though the poetry dealing with various themes, Tanka poems of romance is especially popular. Because in any age, the feelings of love for others are the same, and we easily feel sympathy for the poems. I’ll show you famous 10 love Tanka poems throughout the Japanese poem history. Related PostsBest 10 love lyrics haiku poems by famous poets8 lost love Tanka poems by famous poets“Anthology of Poems: The Lov...

Nukata no Okimi

あかねさす紫草野行き標野行き野守は見ずや君が袖振る

Akane sasu/ Murasakino yuki/ Shimeno yuki/ Nomori ha mizu ya/ Kimi ga sode furu

I’m off to

Red gromwell field

And Shimeno

Does a sentry

See you waving your sleeve?

Otomo no Yakamochi

なかなかに黙もあらまし何すとか相見そめけむ遂げざらまくに

Naka naka ni/ Moda mo arama shi/ Nansu to ka/ Ai misome kem/ Toge zara maku ni

I’d rather

Keep silence

Why did I begin

To meet you

It won’t work though

Kasa no Iratsume

君に恋ひ甚も術なみ楢山の小松が下に立ち嘆くかも

Kimi ni koi/ Ita mo sube nami/ Narayama no/ Komatsu ga shita ni/ Tachi nageku kamo

I miss you

Stand with grieving

Under the small pine tree

In Narayama

At a loss for what to do

Otsu no Miko

あしひきの山のしづくに妹待つと我立ち濡れぬ山のしづくに

Ashihiki no/ Yama no shizuku ni/ Imo matsu to/ Ware tachi nure nu/ Yama no shizuku ni

I waited for you

In the drops

Of Mt. Ashihiki

And I got wet

With the drops

Iwa no hime no Mikoto

ありつつも君をば待たむうち靡くわが黒髪に霜の置くまでに

Aritsutsu mo/ Kimi woba matam/ Uchi nabiku/ Waga kurokami ni shimo no oku made ni

Staying on here

I’ll wait for you

Until my flowing

Black hair

Will have gray

Otomo no Saka no ue no Iratsume

恋ひ恋ひてあへる時だに愛しき言つくしてよ長くと思はば

Koi koi te/ Aeru toki dani/ Utsukushi ki/ Koto tsukushi te yo/ Nagaku to omoha ba

Yearning and yearning

At least when I meet you

Please give me words of affection

If you hope this love

Last long

Sano no Otogami no Otome

あしひきの山路越えむとする君を心に持ちて安けくもなし

Ashiki no/ Yamaji koe mu to/ Suru kimi wo/ Kokoro mochi te/ Yasu keku mo nashi

You are going to

Go over mountains

I love you from

The bottom of my heart

And really worry about you

Nakatomi no Yakamori

たちかへり泣けども吾は験無み思ひわぶれて寝る夜しぞ多き

Tachi kaeri/ Nake domo/ Ware ha/ Shirushi nami/ Omoi wabure te/ Nuru yo shizo oo ki

I cry over

And over but

It is worthless

I go to bed worrying you

So many times

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