Omōezu kimashishi kimi o sahogawa no kawazu kikasezu kaeshitsuru kamo

思ほえず来ましし君を佐保川の
かはづ聞かせず帰しつるかも

Roma-ji: Omōezu kimashishi kimi o sahogawa no kawazu kikasezu kaeshitsuru kamo
English Translation: Beyond all hope
you came to visit me, yet
of the Saho River
the frogs you did not hear—
I let you go home so soon
Meaning: You came to visit me beyond all expectation, yet I let you go home without hearing the singing frogs of the Saho River.
Commentary: Book Six Miscellaneous Poems 1004

Headnote: "A poem by Kuratsukuri no Suguri Masuhito"
This poem regrets having let an unexpected guest go home without hearing the singing frogs of the Saho River. The note following the poem says, "Kuratsukuri no Suguri Masuhito, a senior clerk of the Bureau of Artisans, prepared a modest feast to entertain the head of the bureau, Prince Sai. Before the sun had begun to decline, the prince had already gone home. Masuhito, sorry that he had left before having his fill, composed this poem." Thus we know that when Masuhito, an official of the Bureau of Artisans, entertained its head, Prince Sai, the prince left before the sun began to sink, and Masuhito composed this poem in his regret.
In the evening the frogs of the Saho River would begin to sing beautifully, but the guest could not hear them; in voicing this regret, the poet frankly expresses the heart of a host who could not entertain his guest to the full. Prince Sai was a son of Prince Minu and Agata no Inukai no Michiyo, and a younger brother of Prince Katsuragi (later Tachibana no Moroe).
The poet, Kuratsukuri no Masuhito, was an official of the Nara period who served as a senior clerk of the Bureau of Artisans. The Kuratsukuri no Suguri clan was of immigrant descent.

Prince Sai, who appears in the note to this poem, reappears a little later in the note to 1009 as one who, together with his elder brother Prince Katsuragi, received the surname Tachibana, showing a link between persons within the arrangement of the book.
The first line, "Beyond all hope," means "unexpectedly." It is the negative form of "omohoyu," showing joy at a visit that was not foreseen.
The second line, "you came to visit me, yet," means "you who came to me." "Masu" is an honorific auxiliary verb and "shi" the attributive form of the past auxiliary "ki," carrying respect for Prince Sai, the head of the bureau.
The third line, "of the Saho River," names the Saho River flowing northeast of the Heijō capital. The Saho River was famous for its singing frogs, and the line leads to "frogs" that follows.
The fourth line, "the frogs you did not hear," means "without letting you hear the frogs." "Kawazu" refers to the kajika frog, which lives in clear streams and sings with a beautiful voice. It shows regret that the guest could not hear the voices that would rise in the evening.
The final line, "I let you go home so soon," means "I have let you go home." "Tsuru" is the attributive form of the perfective auxiliary "tsu," and "kamo" expresses emotion; the poem closes with the regret of a host who could not fully entertain his guest.
Author: Kuratsukuri no Masuhito
Source: Manyoshu
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