「わ可(か)くさの　二ひ多枕(たまくら)を　まき所(そ)めて

夜乎(よるを)やへだて无(む)　二九九(にくく)あらなく二(に)(書)

若草乃　新手枕乎　巻始而

夜哉将間二八十一　不在国(印)」

詠み人知らず　巻11　2542

額込み

和紙　印泥

サイズ：343×120mm

訳）新妻の手枕をし始めてから　一夜だって妻のもとを訪れないでいられようか

憎からずってもう昼夜もないことで　愛しくて逢いたくてしょうがないんだもの

万葉集には、九九を洒落(しゃれ)て表現している歌がいくつかあります。

たとえば、「十六」と書いて「しし」と読ませます。これは、「四四(しし)、十六」ということです。

ここでは「八十一」、と書いて「くく」と読ませています。(奈良時代の木簡に九九の練習をしたものがあります)

◎もともと「九九」は中国の春秋時代に発明され、奈良時代に日本に入り、人口や税の計算、建築計算の際に使われており、お役人には必須の教養だったようです。

万葉人の「八十一」を「くく」と読ませる感覚が、新妻への思いと重ねたところがにくいなぁと思います。

including a picture frame

Japanese paper,vermilion ink

Size: 343×120mm

How can I not visit my new wife even for a single night since I began to sleep on her hand?

I can't help but long to see her because I love her so much, and because I don't hate her anymore, day and night.

In the Manyoshu, there are several poems in which the ninety-nine characters are expressed in a stylish manner.

For example, the character for "sixteen" is read as "shishi. This means "forty-four (shishi), sixteen (shishi).

Here, "81", is written and read as "kuku". (There is a wooden letter from the Nara period (710-794) that shows the practice of 99.)

◎ Originally invented in China during the Spring and Autumn period, "99" entered Japan during the Nara period (710-794) and was used for population and tax calculations, as well as for architectural calculations, and was apparently an essential education for government officials.

I think it is difficult to overlay the Manyojin's sense of reading "81" as "kuku" with their feelings for their new wives.