Miyoshino no aonegatake no kokemushiro tare ka orikemu tatenuki nashi ni

み吉野の青根が岳の蘿むしろ
誰れか織りけむ経緯なしに

Roma-ji: Miyoshino no aonegatake no kokemushiro tare ka orikemu tatenuki nashi ni
English Translation: At fair Yoshino,
on the summit of Aone,
this carpet of moss—
who could have woven it
with neither warp nor weft?
Meaning: This carpet of moss on Aone Peak in lovely Yoshino—who could have woven it, without any warp or weft?
Commentary: Book Seven Miscellaneous Poems 1120

Headnote: "On Moss"
Likening the moss that covers Aone Peak at Yoshino to a woven mat, the poet marvels at who could have woven it with neither warp nor weft. Treating the work of nature as human handicraft, it is a witty poem of praise.
It is a poem under the heading "On Moss." Aone Peak is thought to be one of the summits of Kinpusen in Yoshino. The poet is unknown.

The first line, "At fair Yoshino," gives Yoshino the honorific "mi."
The second line names a mountain in Yoshino.
The third line, "kokemushiro," likens a thick growth of moss to a woven mat.
The fourth line, "who could have woven it," is a kakari-musubi construction in which "ka" is answered by the attributive "kemu," and the poem pauses here.
The final line, "with neither warp nor weft," is added by inversion, completing the weaving conceit and heightening the wonder.
Source: Manyoshu
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