Hito naraba haha ga manago zo asamoyoshi ki no kawa no he no imo to se no yama

人ならば母が愛子ぞあさもよし
紀の川の辺の妹と背の山

Roma-ji: Hito naraba haha ga manago zo asamoyoshi ki no kawa no he no imo to se no yama
English Translation: If they were people,
they would be a mother's darlings—
in hemp-skirted Ki,
beside the river of Ki,
Imo and Se, the mountains
Meaning: If they were people, they would surely be their mother's dearest children—Mount Imo and Mount Se beside the Ki River.
Commentary: Book Seven Miscellaneous Poems 1209

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on Journeys"
The poet praises Mount Imo and Mount Se, standing side by side beside the Ki River, saying that if they were people they would be their mother's darlings. Seeing the two mountains as persons, he praises their closeness and charm.
With the preceding poem it sings of the Imose mountains; where that poem envies Mount Se, this one praises the pair by likening them to a mother's beloved children. It is regarded as coming from the Old Collection. The poet is unknown.

The first line, "If they were people," states the supposition.
In the second line, "zo" is emphatic: "they would be a mother's darlings." The poem pauses here.
The third line uses "asamoyoshi," from Kii being a land of hemp skirts, as a pillow word for "Ki."
The fourth line, "beside the river of Ki," has an extra syllable.
The final line ends with the nouns "Imo and Se, the mountains."
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Imo ni koi waga koeyukeba se no yama no imo ni koizute aru ga tomoshisa
Next Poem: Wagimoko ni aga koiyukeba tomoshiku mo narabi oru kamo imo to se no yama