Okuyama no maki no ha shinogi furu yuki no furi wa masu tomo tsuchi ni ochime ya mo

奥山の真木の葉しのぎ降る雪の
降りは増すとも地に落ちめやも

Roma-ji: Okuyama no maki no ha shinogi furu yuki no furi wa masu tomo tsuchi ni ochime ya mo
English Translation: In the deep mountains
pressing down the fine trees' leaves
falls the snow—and though
its falling may increase,
will it ever reach the ground?
Meaning: Though the snow that falls in the deep mountains, weighing down the leaves of the fine trees, may fall ever thicker, will it ever drop to the ground? Never.
Commentary: Book Six Miscellaneous Poems 1010

Headnote: "A poem by Tachibana no Sukune Naramaro in response to an imperial command"
This poem says that though snow may fall and pile upon the leaves of the fine trees in the deep mountains, weighing them down, it will never fall to the ground. Placed after the preceding poem, 1009, it seems to have been composed by Naramaro in response to the emperor's command at the banquet held when the Tachibana surname was granted.
By saying that the snow, however heavily it piles on the leaves, will not fall to the ground, the poem expresses both resolve and congratulation: the honor of the Tachibana name that has been granted will never fall to the earth. It can be read as a vow from the younger generation of the Tachibana clan, answering the emperor's own poem.
The poet, Tachibana no Naramaro, was a son of Prince Katsuragi (Tachibana no Moroe). Later, in Tenpyō-shōhō 9 (757), he plotted to overthrow Fujiwara no Nakamaro, but the plot was discovered beforehand and he was arrested (the Tachibana no Naramaro Incident).

Where the preceding poem, 1009, praised the tachibana that does not wither even when "frost may fall on its boughs," this poem sings of snow, "though its falling may increase," so that frost and snow form a pair. The praise of the evergreen tree in the preceding poem is received here through the figure of snow that does not fall to the ground.
The first line, "In the deep mountains," means mountains deep and far from human settlements, showing where the snow falls.
The second line, "pressing down the fine trees' leaves," means "weighing down the leaves of the fine trees." "Maki" refers to excellent trees such as cedar and cypress, and "shinogu" means to cover as if pressing down.
The third line, "falls the snow—and though," means "the snow that falls." The first three lines form a preface that repeats the word "falls" and leads into "its falling may increase" in the fourth line.
The fourth line, "its falling may increase," means "even though its falling grows heavier." "Tomo" expresses an adversative supposition, making a strong statement: however heavily it may pile up.
The final line, "will it ever reach the ground?" means "could it fall to the ground? Never." "Meyamo" expresses a rhetorical question, and the poem closes by firmly showing the resolve that the honor of the Tachibana clan will never fall to the ground.
Author: Tachibana no Naramaro
Source: Manyoshu
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