"The original poem in classical Japanese, written on a single line in hiragana like how it likely would have been written by Murasaki Shikibu:
わくらばにゆきあふみちをたのみしも なほかひなしやしほならぬうみ
The same, but each phrase rendered on its own line, to showcase the 5-7-5-7-7 structure, which the original reader would have been able to parse when reading it in a single line:
わくらばに
ゆきあふみちを
たのみしも
なほかひなしや
しほならぬうみ
Tyler’s take, in his characteristic two-line approach to translating waka:
I had little doubt that we would meet after all on the Ōmi road,
yet those waters were too fresh not to betray my fond hope."
Framing: assertive ·
First seen: 2026-09-04 ·
Last seen: 2026-09-04 ·
Spread: 1 articles