「天武・持統陵」にて　at Tombs of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jito

北山に　たなびく雲の　青雲の　星離れ行き　月を離れて

Kitayamani tanabikukumono seiunnno hoshihanareyuki tsukiohanarete

Blue clouds trailing over the northern mountain, parting with the stars, parting with the moon

持統天皇が夫・天武天皇へ捧げた挽歌で、北山にたなびいている雲の、その青い雲は、星を離れ、月をも離れていくことだ、と詠んでいます。おそらく天武天皇の葬られた大内陵（現在は明日香村野口に天武・持統合葬陵があります）を南の方から眺めながら、夫の霊魂が青雲のようになって月を離れ、星を離れて、私からも遠ざかっていくことを悲しんで詠まれた歌でしょう。持統天皇にとっては夫・天武は父の弟、叔父にあたる人でもあり、挽歌もすべて独占したのでしょう。御陵で今も二人で眠っています。

This is a poem of lamentation dedicated by Empress Jito to her husband, Emperor Tenmu, describing the blue clouds floating over northern mountain parting ways with the moon and stars. Perhaps she was looking at the Ouchi Mausoleum (the site in Noguchi, Asuka where they are currently buried together) from the south, and this poem was written with sadness at the thought of her husband’s spirit parting ways with the moon and the stars and drifting away from her just like the blue clouds.

Empress Jito’s husband was also her father’s younger brother, making him her uncle, so she may have kept the rest of the Banka poems to herself. The two of them still remain buried together at the imperial mausoleum to this day.