Ashibi nasu sakaeshi kimi ga horishi i no ishii no mizu wa nomedo akanu kamo

馬酔木なす栄えし君が掘りし井の
石井の水は飲めど飽かぬかも

Roma-ji: Ashibi nasu sakaeshi kimi ga horishi i no ishii no mizu wa nomedo akanu kamo
English Translation: Like andromeda
in bloom, he flourished once,
and in the well he dug,
the water of this stone-lined spring
I drink and never tire
Meaning: He flourished like the andromeda in full bloom, the lord who dug this well—its stone-lined water I drink and drink and never tire of it.
Commentary: Book Seven Miscellaneous Poems 1128

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Wells"
The poet praises the water of a stone-lined well dug by a former master who flourished like the andromeda in bloom, saying he can drink it without end. Admiration for the sweet water carries longing for that master, now dead or departed.
Like the preceding poem it is "On Wells"; where that poem sang of the purity of a running spring, this one adds thoughts of the man who dug the well. The poet is unknown.

The first line, "Like andromeda in bloom," uses "nasu," meaning "like." The andromeda, blooming in full clusters, is a figure for prosperity.
The second line, "he flourished once," uses the past auxiliary "shi," hinting that his glory now belongs to the past.
The third line, "and in the well he dug," refers to the well he made.
The fourth line, "the water of this stone-lined spring," repeats "i" (well) from the third line as "ishii" (stone-lined well).
The final line, "I drink and never tire," applies to water the formula of praise "I look and never tire," echoing the last line of poem 1177 in this book.
Source: Manyoshu
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