Yamato poem

[Nippom]

Gomen, but I don't know how to type Japanese characters on my machine.
And I tried to search for prior entries on this subject, but could not seem to find any.

Is this the best translation of this poem, or can anyone please offer what they may consider a better one?

Countless are the mountains in Yamato,
But perfect is the heavenly hill of Kagu;
When I climb it and survey my realm,
Over the wide plain the smoke-wreaths rise and rise,
Over the wide lake the gulls are on the wing;
A beautiful land it is, the land of Yamato!

—Emperor Jomei 7th Century

[KyleGoetz]

Perhaps you should post the original Japanese.

[blutorange]

Originally Posted by Nippom

but I don't know how to type Japanese characters on my machine.

You could always use this: Online IME
It's kind of hard to help you if we don't know the original Japanese text...

[masaegu]

Originally Posted by blutorange

It's kind of hard to help you if we don't know the original Japanese text...

Here is the original. Help the OP.

大和には群山あれどとりよろふ
天の香具山登り立ち　
国見をすれば国原は煙立つ立つ
海原は鴎立つ立つうまし国そ　
蜻蛉島大和の国は

[Nippom]

Originally Posted by blutorange

You could always use this: Online IME
It's kind of hard to help you if we don't know the original Japanese text...

Gomene, demo, watashi could not find it in Nihongo.

Arigatou for Online IME link, but I could not get it to work in either Firefox or Seamonkey, my two preferred browsers.

I can write Nihongo in Thunderbird email, but I have never figured out the controls well enough to use it consistently.
I always end up clicking and trying different options for 5 minutes before I can get it to work.
I'm not trying to be difficult, this is just the way it's been for me so far.

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by Nippom

Gomene, demo, watashi could not find it in Nihongo.

Arigatou for Online IME link, but I could not get it to work in either Firefox or Seamonkey, my two preferred browsers.

I can write Nihongo in Thunderbird email, but I have never figured out the controls well enough to use it consistently.
I always end up clicking and trying different options for 5 minutes before I can get it to work.
I'm not trying to be difficult, this is just the way it's been for me so far.

Not to sound too rude, but could you stop using random Japanese words when you're writing English? It's jarring and makes you sound like a 12yo who watches too much Naruto.

Edit On the other hand, I heavily engage in code-switching with my bilingual friends. I don't think this is the same situation, but I'm leaving my initial comment in case it spawns some discussion. Perhaps it's terrible when written but acceptable when spoken (but not written) by a bilingual? In written Japanese you'll tend to see full thoughts in one language or another, not このtype of日本語and英語used一緒に.

[Nippom]

Sumimasen.

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by Nippom

Sumimasen.

sumimasen deshita

[Nippom]

I'll tell you one thing I just thought of.
I've been taught that there are no plurals in Nihongo.

Thus, don't you think the poem might better read like this?

Countless are the mountain in Yamato,
But perfect is the heavenly hill of Kagu;
When I climb it and survey my realm,
Over the wide plain the smoke-wreath rise and rise,
Over the wide lake the gull are on the wing;
A beautiful land it is, the land of Yamato!

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by Nippom

I'll tell you one thing I just thought of.
I've been taught that there are no plurals in Nihongo.

Thus, don't you think the poem might better read like this?

Countless are the mountain in Yamato,
But perfect is the heavenly hill of Kagu;
When I climb it and survey my realm,
Over the wide plain the smoke-wreath rise and rise,
Over the wide lake the gull are on the wing;
A beautiful land it is, the land of Yamato!

No. The poem is in English and that is erroneous English.