「石舞台」にて　at Ishibutai Tumulus

島の宮　勾の池の　放ち鳥　人目に恋ひて　池に潜かず

Shimanomiya  magarinoikeno  hanachidori  hitomenikoite  ikenikazukazu

Heartbroken, the birds of Magari Pond at Shima Palace cannot bear to swim

島の宮の勾の池に放し飼いにされている水鳥たちは、人を慕って池に潜ろうともしない、という歌。この人というのは草壁皇子のことで、皇子は天武天皇の子で、母は持統天皇。父の跡を継ぐようにと、皇太子になっていたのですが、持統３年（689年）に28歳という若さで亡くなりました。その時に柿本人麻呂が詠んだ挽歌の一首がこの歌です。

島の宮は当時、草壁皇子が住んでおられた宮殿で、現在の石舞台古墳がある明日香村島ノ庄あたりにありました。

This is a poem describes how the wild waterfowl that lived in Magari Pond at Shima-no-Miya Palace who were so attached to a certain person that they couldn’t even bring themselves to swim in the pond. The person in question is Prince Kusakabe, the son of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jito. He was crowned prince in the hope that he would succeed his father, but died at the young age of 28 in 689. Kakinomoto-no-Hitomaro wrote this poem at the time of his death in order to mourn his passing.

Before his death, Prince Kusakabe lived in this palace, which was located in what is now known as Shimanosho, where the Ishibutai Tumulus currently stands.