Examples
There are many instances of makurakotoba found in the Man'yōshū . One of the very first poems in the collection demonstrates how the makurakotoba was used:
komo yo mikomochi
fukushimo yo mibukushimochi
kono oka ni na tsumasu ko
ie norase na norasane
soramitsu* Yamato no kuni wa
oshinabete ware koso ore
shikinabete ware koso imase
ware kosoba norame
ie o mo na o mo
Your basket, with your lovely basket
Your trowel, with your lovely trowel
girl, you who pick herbs on this hill,
speak of your house. Speak of your name.
In the Land of Yamato, seen from the sky*,
It is I who conquer and reign
It is I who conquer and rule.
Let it be me who speaks
of my house and my name.
- Soramitsu is used to modify the place “Yamato,” and means that it is seen from the sky.
There are several more examples available online. Some are listed below.
| Makurakotoba | Meaning | Modifies |
|---|---|---|
| Akane sasu | Shining madder red | Hi ‘sun,’ hiru ‘daytime,’ kimi ‘lord’ |
| Asa mo yoshi | Good hemp | Place name ‘Ki’ |
| Kakojimo no | A fawn | Hitori ko ‘single/only child’ |
| Kamikaze no | Divine wind | Place names such as ‘Ise,’ ‘Isuzu River’ |
| Komori ku no | Hidden Land | Place name ‘Hatsuse’ |
| Koto saheku | Twittered words | Foreign place names such as China ‘kara,’ Korea ‘Kudara’ |
| Komo tsurugi | Korean sword | Place name ‘Wazami’ |
| Kusa makura | Grass pillow | Tabi ‘journey,’ musubu ‘tie,’ tsuyu ‘dew’ |
| Mini no wata | Marsh (black) snail guts | Kaguroshi ‘completely black’ |
| Momoshiki no | Many stoned | Opomiya ‘great palace' |
| Harugasumi | Spring mist/haze | Kasuga, tatsu ‘rise’ |
| Hi no moto no | Source of sun | Place name ‘Yamato’ |
| Sora mitsu | Sky seen | Place name ‘Yamato’ |
| Tamamo yoshi | Good jeweled seaweed | Province ‘Sanuki’ |
| Takunawa no | A rope of hemp | Naga ‘long,’ chihiro ‘extremely long’ |
| Tamaginu no | Jeweled clothes | Sawisawi ‘rustling’ |
| Tama kiwaru | Soul ending | Inochi ‘life,’ yo ‘world’ |
| Tama tasuki | Jeweled cord | Place name ‘Unebi,’ kakaru ‘attach’ |
| Chihayaburu | Powerful/mighty | Place name ‘Uji,’ kami ‘gods’ |
| Toki tsu kaze | Seasonal/timely wind | Place name pukepi ‘Fukehi’ |
| Tomoshibi no | Lamplight | Place name ‘Akashi’ |
| Tori ga naku | Bird calling | Azuma ‘the Eastland’ |
| Tsumagomoru | Spouse hiding | Ya ‘home/roof,’ ya ‘arrow’ |
| Uchiyosuru | Rush toward | Place name ‘Suruga’ |
Read more about this topic: Makurakotoba
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