Ika naramu toki ni ka imo o mugurau no kitanaki yado ni iri imasetemu

いかならむ時にか妹を葎生の
汚なきやどに入りいませてむ

Roma-ji: Ika naramu toki ni ka imo o mugurau no kitanaki yado ni iri imasetemu
English Translation: At what time, I wonder,
will I have you here, my dear,
where the weeds grow thick,
in this poor and humble house,
welcome you and bid you in
Meaning: When will the day come, I wonder, that I can welcome you, my dear, into this humble house overgrown with weeds?
Commentary: Book Four Love Poems 759

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Four poems sent by the Elder Daughter of the Ōtomo household at Tamura to her younger sister"
In the last of the four, she wonders when she will be able to welcome her sister into her humble house overgrown with weeds. Speaking modestly of her home, she shows how she longs for her sister's visit.
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, "At what time, I wonder," means what kind of.
Second line, "will I have you here, my dear," uses the questioning ka, closed by mu in the fifth line.
Third line, "where the weeds grow thick," names mugurau, ground overgrown with creepers.
Fourth line, "in this poor and humble house," speaks modestly of her own home.
Fifth line, "welcome you and bid you in," means shall I have you come in? ending in the attributive of mu.
Author: Ōtomo no Tamura no Ōiratsume
Source: Manyoshu
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