Poem in the Man'yōshū (MYS II: 153) by Dowager Empress Yamato Hime no Ōkimi, written in the 7th century

Source:

http://www.wakapoetry.net/mys-ii-153/

Yamato Hime no Ōkimi (倭姫王) was a poet and Empress of Japan, as the wife of her paternal uncle Emperor Tenji. She was a granddaughter of Emperor Jomei (舒明天皇) and Soga no Hote-no-iratsume (蘇我法提郎女), through their son Prince Furuhito-no-Ōe (古人大兄皇子).

Her poetry is collected in the Man'yōshū (万葉集), the oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry believed to have been collected by Ōtomo no Yakamochi (大伴 家持). After the death of her husband in 671, she wrote a song of mourning about him.

The poem:

鯨魚取り　近江の海を　沖放けて　漕ぎ来る船　辺付きて　漕ぎ来る船　沖つ櫂　いたくな撥ねそ　辺つ櫂　いたくな撥ねそ　若草の　夫の　思ふ鳥立つ

Romaji:

isana tori

opomi no umi wo

oki sakete

kogikitaru pune

pe tu kite

kogikuru pune

oki tu kai

itaku na pane so

pe tu kai

itaku na pane so

wakakusa no

tuma no

omopu tori tatu

English translation:

In the whale-hunting

Sea of Ōmi

From far off in the offing

Boats come rowing;

Nearing the shore,

Boats come rowing;

Off in the offing, oars

Beat not so hard!

By the shore, oars

Beat not so hard!

A fresh blade of grass –

My husband's

Beloved birds you'll start to flight!