Urawakami hana sakikataki ume o uete hito no koto shigemi omoi zo waga suru

うら若み花咲きかたき梅を植ゑて
人の言繁み思ひぞ我がする

Roma-ji: Urawakami hana sakikataki ume o uete hito no koto shigemi omoi zo waga suru
English Translation: Being still so young,
slow to bloom, the plum I've planted;
with the people's talk
growing ever thick and loud,
how I brood and worry so
Meaning: I have planted a plum tree still too young to bloom, and with people's talk so thick, I am troubled in my mind.
Commentary: Book Four Love Poems 788

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Three poems sent in reply by Ōtomo no Sukune Yakamochi to Fujiwara no Asomi Kusumaro"
In the last of the three, he has planted a plum still too young to bloom, and with gossip so thick he is troubled. The young plum seems to stand for his little daughter, and the poem voices a parent's concern over the match.
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, "Being still so young," means because it is young.
Second line, "slow to bloom, the plum I've planted," means hard to bring to flower, a figure for the daughter's youth.
Third line, "with the people's talk," runs to six syllables: having planted a plum.
Fourth line, "growing ever thick and loud," runs to eight syllables: because people's talk is thick.
Fifth line, "how I brood and worry so," closes zo with the attributive suru: I am troubled.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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