Kyō mo ka mo Asuka no kawa no yū sarazu kawazu naku se no sayakeku aruramu

今日もかも明日香の川の夕さらず
かはづ鳴く瀬のさやけくあるらむ

Roma-ji: Kyō mo ka mo Asuka no kawa no yū sarazu kawazu naku se no sayakeku aruramu
English Translation: Today once again,
on the river of Asuka,
every evening,
where the singing frogs call out,
are its shallows clear and bright?
Meaning: Today, too, on the Asuka River, are the shallows where the river frogs sing every evening still clear and fresh?
Commentary: Book Three Miscellaneous Poems 356

Headnote: "A poem by Kami no Komaro"
From far away, the poet imagines the clear shallows of the Asuka River flowing through the old capital. Are the shallows where the river frogs sing every evening still fresh today? he wonders, picturing the beloved landscape of home. Setting "today" (kyō) beside Asuka, which contains asu, "tomorrow," he also plays on the sound of words. The original text notes a variant opening from a certain text, "Asuka River, even now perhaps"; here the main text is followed.
The poet, Kami no Komaro, lived in the Nara period, but little is known of him.

First line "Today once again": kamo is interrogative, answering ramu at the end.
Second line "on the river of Asuka": after kyō, "today," comes Asuka, echoing asu, "tomorrow."
Third line "every evening": yū sarazu means never missing an evening.
Fourth line "where the singing frogs call out": kawazu are river frogs with a clear song.
Fifth line "are its shallows clear and bright": ramu is present conjecture, ending as he pictures the scene from afar.
Author: Kami no Komaro
Source: Manyoshu
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