[Footnote 8:  Hisakata-no is a “pillow-word” used by the old poets in relation to celestial objects; and it is often difficult to translate.  Mr. Aston thinks that the literal meaning of hisakata is simply “long-hard,” in the sense of long-enduring,—­hisa (long), katai (hard, or firm),—­so that hisakata-no would have the meaning of “firmamental.”  Japanese commentators, however, say that the term is composed with the three words, hi (sun), sasu (shine), and kata (side);—­and this etymology would justify the rendering of hisakata-no by some such expression as “light-shedding,” “radiance-giving.”  On the subject of pillow-words, see Aston’s Grammar of the Japanese Written Language.]

    [Over the Rapids of the Everlasting Heaven, floating in his
    boat, my lord will doubtless deign to come to me this very
    night.]

    Kaz[’e] kumo wa
  Futatsu no kishi ni
    Kayo[:e]domo,
  Waga toho-tsuma no
  Koto zo kayowanu!

    [Though winds and clouds to either bank may freely come or
    go, between myself and my faraway spouse no message whatever
    may pass.]

    Tsubut[’e][9] ni mo
  Nag[’e] koshitsu-b[’e]ki,
    Amanogawa
  H[’e]dat[’e]r[’e]ba ka mo,
  Amata sub[’e]-naki!

    [To the opposite bank one might easily fling a pebble; yet,
    being separated from him by the River of Heaven, alas! to hope
    for a meeting (except in autumn) is utterly useless.]

[Footnote 9:  The old text has tabut[’e].]

    Aki-kaz[’e] no
  Fukinishi hi yori
    “Itsushika” to—­;
  Waga machi ko[^i]shi
  Kimi zo kimas[’e]ru.

    [From the day that the autumn wind began to blow (I kept
    saying to myself), “Ah! when shall we meet?”—­but now my
    beloved, for whom I waited and longed, has come indeed!]

    Amanogawa
  Ito kawa-nami wa
    Tatan[’e]domo,
  Samorai gatashi—­
  Chikaki kono s[’e] wo.

    [Though the waters of the River of Heaven have not greatly
    risen, (yet to cross) this near stream and to wait upon (my
    lord and lover) remains impossible.]

    Sod[’e] furaba
  Mi mo kawashitsu-b[’e]ku
    Chika-ker[’e]do,
  Wataru sub[’e] nashi,
  Aki nishi aran[’e]ba.

    [Though she is so near that the waving of her (long) sleeves
    can be distinctly seen, yet there is no way to cross the
    stream before the season of autumn.]

    Kag[’e]ro[:i] no
  Honoka ni mi[’e]t[’e]
    Wakar[’e]naba;—­
  Motonaya ko[:i]n
  A[:u]-toki mad[’e] wa!

[When we were separated, I had seen her for a moment only,—­and dimly as one sees a flying midge;[10] now I must vainly long for her as before, until time of our next meeting!]

    Hikoboshi no
  Tsuma muka[:e]-bun[’e]
    Kogizurashi,—­
  Ama-no-Kawara ni
  Kiri no tat[’e]ru wa.