Wasuregusa waga shitahimo ni tsuketaredo shiko no shikokusa koto ni shi arikeri

忘れ草我が下紐に付けたれど
醜の醜草言にしありけり

Roma-ji: Wasuregusa waga shitahimo ni tsuketaredo shiko no shikokusa koto ni shi arikeri
English Translation: Grass of forgetting,
on my undercord I tied it,
yet, that wretched weed,
that good-for-nothing plant,
it was nothing but a name
Meaning: I tied the grass of forgetting to the cord of my undergarment, but that wretched, worthless weed turned out to be nothing but a name.
Commentary: Book Four Love Poems 727

Headnote: "Two poems sent by Ōtomo no Sukune Yakamochi to the Elder Daughter of the Sakanoue house; after a break of several years they met again and exchanged love poems"
When his relationship with the Elder Daughter of Sakanoue resumed after several years' break, Yakamochi sent her two poems; this is the first. To forget the pain of love, he tied the grass of forgetting to his undergarment cord, but it was nothing but a name, and he curses the useless weed. With humor he conveys that he could not forget her however he tried.
The author, Ōtomo no Yakamochi, was the son of Ōtomo no Tabito and a poet thought to have been deeply involved in compiling the Man'yōshū. He later rose to the rank of Middle Counselor.

First line, "Grass of forgetting," names wasuregusa, the day lily, believed to make one forget one's cares when worn.
Second line, "on my undercord I tied it," names shitahimo, the cord of an undergarment.
Third line, "yet, that wretched weed," means though I attached it.
Fourth line, "that good-for-nothing plant," uses shiko, a word of abuse: that miserable weed.
Fifth line, "it was nothing but a name," uses keri for realization: it was only a name after all.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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