Tobusa tate Ashigarayama ni funagi kiri ki ni kiriyukitsu atara funagi o

鳥総立て足柄山に船木伐り
木に伐り行きつあたら船木を

Roma-ji: Tobusa tate Ashigarayama ni funagi kiri ki ni kiriyukitsu atara funagi o
English Translation: Setting up the treetop,
on the mountain of Ashigara
I felled timber for a ship—
yet they cut it as mere wood:
such fine timber for a ship!
Meaning: With the treetop set up in offering, I felled on Mount Ashigara a tree fit for a ship—yet it was cut away as common timber. What a waste of fine ship's wood!
Commentary: Book Three Allegorical Poems 391

Headnote: "A poem by the novice Mansei, Superintendent for building the Kanzeon Temple of Tsukushi"
This poem belongs to the section of Allegorical Poems in Book Three. He found a tree on Mount Ashigara fit for a ship, only to have it cut away by others as ordinary timber—a regret read as an allegory of a woman he cared for being taken by another man. Mount Ashigara, on the border of Sagami and Suruga, was known as a source of fine ship's timber.
The poet, Mansei, whose secular name was Kasa no Maro, served as Governor of Mino and in other posts before taking holy orders, and went down to Dazaifu as Superintendent for building the Kanzeon Temple of Tsukushi.

First line "Setting up the treetop": tobusa is the rite of standing the top of a felled tree on its stump in offering to the mountain god.
Second line "on the mountain of Ashigara": a mountain on the border of Sagami and Suruga.
Third line "I felled timber for a ship": funagi is wood for building ships.
Fourth line "yet they cut it as mere wood": tsu is perfective; the sentence breaks here.
Fifth line "such fine timber for a ship": atara means regrettable, a waste. Inversion ends on his disappointment.
Author: Mansei
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Karu no ike no urami yukimiru kamo sura ni tamamo no ue ni hitori nenaku ni
Next Poem: Nubatama no sono yo no ume o tawasurete orazu kinikeri omoishi mono o