I will go and tell
the people of the palace
of this hill cherry,
so that they may come and look
before the wind gets here first

Meaning

I shall go back and tell them at the palace of this mountain cherry, so that they may come and see it before the wind does.

Commentary

Part One: Wakamurasaki

　At daybreak an escort arrived from the capital, and Genji had to leave the northern hills. To the bishop and the others, sorry to see him go, he spoke this poem, promising to carry word of the mountain cherries back to the city. On its face it is a courteous tribute to the flowers; but the girl he had glimpsed was in his mind, and the poem carries a second sense.

　"Miyabito" are those who serve at court, standing for the world of the capital. "Mountain cherry" is the blossom of the hills and at the same time the girl he found there. "Before the wind" means before the petals scatter, with the implication that a child's present form can be seen only now. Framed as a farewell greeting, the poem quietly holds his attachment.

Author

Murasaki Shikibu

Source

Genji Monogatari

Other

I will go and tell the people of the palace of this hill cherry, so that they may come and look before the wind gets here first

I will go and tell
the people of the palace
of this hill cherry,
so that they may come and look
before the wind gets here first