Shirakumo no tanabiku yama no takadaka ni aga omou imo o mimu yoshi mo ga mo

白雲のたなびく山の高々に
我が思ふ妹を見むよしもがも

Roma-ji: Shirakumo no tanabiku yama no takadaka ni aga omou imo o mimu yoshi mo ga mo
English Translation: Where the white clouds trail,
like the mountains towering,
standing tiptoe high,
my own dearest, whom I love,
would there were a way to see you
Meaning: Like a lofty mountain where white clouds trail, I stand on tiptoe longing for you, my dear; if only there were some way to see you.
Commentary: Book Four Love Poems 758

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Four poems sent by the Elder Daughter of the Ōtomo household at Tamura to her younger sister"
With a high mountain where white clouds trail as its preface, she wishes there were some way to see the sister she longs for on tiptoe.
According to the left note, both were daughters of Ōtomo no Sukunamaro; the elder was called Tamura no Ōiratsume because her father lived in the village of Tamura, and the younger Sakanoue no Ōiratsume because her mother, Lady Sakanoue, lived in Sakanoue. At this time the sisters exchanged poems to ask after each other.
The author, Ōtomo no Tamura no Ōiratsume, was a daughter of Ōtomo no Sukunamaro and the elder half-sister of the Elder Daughter of Sakanoue.

First line, "Where the white clouds trail," names the white clouds.
Second line, "like the mountains towering," means the mountain where they trail; with the first line it forms a preface to "high."
Third line, "standing tiptoe high," renders takadaka ni, longing on tiptoe.
Fourth line, "my own dearest, whom I love," means the sister I love.
Fifth line, "would there were a way to see you," uses the wishful moga mo: if only there were a means.
Author: Ōtomo no Tamura no Ōiratsume
Source: Manyoshu
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