Ashihiki no yama ni oitaru suga no ne no nemokoro mimaku hoshiki kimi kamo

あしひきの山に生ひたる菅の根の
ねもころ見まく欲しき君かも

Roma-ji: Ashihiki no yama ni oitaru suga no ne no nemokoro mimaku hoshiki kimi kamo
English Translation: On the mountainside,
growing on the rugged slopes,
roots of the sedge grass,
heartfelt is my wish to see you,
you, my lord, so dear to me
Meaning: Like the roots of the sedge growing on the mountain, deep and tangled, so heartfelt is my wish to see you, my lord.
Commentary: Book Four Love Poems 580

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Two poems given by Yo no Myōgun to Ōtomo no Sukune Yakamochi"
In the second poem, with the roots of the sedge growing on the mountain as its preface, he expresses a heartfelt wish to see Yakamochi. It uses the sound ne of "roots" to lead into nemokoro, "earnestly."
The author, Yo no Myōgun, is thought to have been of Paekche immigrant descent and served Ōtomo no Tabito, the Major Counselor, as an attendant. Shijin were retainers assigned to high officials.

First line, "On the mountainside," is ashihiki no, a pillow word for "mountain."
Second line, "growing on the rugged slopes," means growing on the mountain.
Third line, "roots of the sedge grass," names the sedge's roots; from their long tangling and the sound ne, it leads to nemokoro in the fourth line, forming a preface with the first two lines.
Fourth line, "heartfelt is my wish to see you," uses nemokoro, "earnestly, with all one's heart," and mimaku, the nominalized form of mimu: I long from my heart to see you.
Fifth line, "you, my lord, so dear to me," closes with the exclamatory kamo: you whom I cannot help wishing to see.
Author: Yo no Myōgun
Source: Manyoshu
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