Tachibana wa mi sae hana sae sono ha sae e ni shimo furedo iya tokoha no ki

橘は実さへ花さへその葉さへ
枝に霜降れどいや常葉の木

Roma-ji: Tachibana wa mi sae hana sae sono ha sae e ni shimo furedo iya tokoha no ki
English Translation: The Tachibana—
its fruit, its blossoms as well,
its leaves as well,
though frost may fall on its boughs,
ever more an evergreen tree
Meaning: The Tachibana tree is splendid in its fruit, its flowers, and its leaves as well; though frost falls on its branches, it is an evergreen, ever more green.
Commentary: Book Six Miscellaneous Poems 1009

Headnote: "A poem composed by the Emperor in the winter, eleventh month, when the surname Tachibana was bestowed on Prince Katsuragi, Major Controller of the Left, and others"
This poem praises the tachibana as a tree splendid in its fruit, its flowers, and its leaves, an evergreen that stays ever green even when frost falls on its branches. Celebrating the bestowal of the surname Tachibana on Prince Katsuragi and others, it entrusts to the evergreen tree the wish that the new Tachibana clan will flourish forever.
According to the note following the poem, in the eleventh month of Tenpyō 8 (736), Prince Katsuragi of the Junior Third Rank and Prince Sai of the Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade, among others, relinquished their names as members of the imperial family and received the surname Tachibana from their mother's side; at that time, with the Retired Empress (Empress Genshō) and the Empress together at the Empress's palace, a banquet was held, a royal poem celebrating the tachibana was composed, and wine was bestowed on the new Sukune. The brothers' mother, Agata no Inukai no Michiyo, had earlier received the surname Tachibana no Sukune, and the brothers inherited that maternal name.
The note also records a different account that this is a poem by the Retired Empress, and says that the Emperor and the Empress each composed a poem as well, but these were lost and could not be found. Here, following the headnote's "poem composed by the Emperor," the poem is attributed to Emperor Shōmu.
The poet, Emperor Shōmu, was the son of Emperor Monmu and a sovereign of the Nara period. His empress, Kōmyōshi, was a daughter of Agata no Inukai no Michiyo and thus a half-sister of Prince Katsuragi.

This poem and the next, 1010, stand side by side as poems celebrating the bestowal of the Tachibana name. This one praises the tachibana that stays green even under frost, and the next responds that however deep the snow falls, it will never fall to the ground, forming a pair through the winter images of frost and snow.
The first line, "The Tachibana," presents the topic. The tachibana was a tree admired for its fruit, flowers, and leaves alike, and here it praises "Tachibana," the name newly granted as a surname.
The second line, "its fruit, its blossoms as well," means "even its fruit, even its flowers." "Sae" is an additive particle, stating repeatedly that every part of the tachibana is excellent.
The third line, "its leaves as well," means "even its leaves." Across the second and third lines "sae" is repeated three times, praising fruit, flowers, and leaves in quick succession.
The fourth line, "though frost may fall on its boughs," means "even though frost falls on its branches." "Do" is adversative, leading to the strength of the tachibana, which does not wither even in the harshness of winter. It also suits the season of the eleventh month of winter when the name was granted.
The final line, "ever more an evergreen tree," means "a tree that is evergreen all the more." "Iya" means "ever more," and "tokoha" means leaves that are always green. Closing on a noun, it firmly concludes the celebration of the enduring Tachibana clan.
Author: Emperor Shōmu
Source: Manyoshu
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