Makana mochi yuge no kawara no umoregi no arawaru mashijiki koto ni aranaku ni

真鉋持ち弓削の川原の埋れ木の
あらはるましじきことにあらなくに

Roma-ji: Makana mochi yuge no kawara no umoregi no arawaru mashijiki koto ni aranaku ni
English Translation: With a fine plane held,
on the riverbank of Yuge
the buried wood lies—
it is not a thing, I know,
that never comes to light
Meaning: Like the buried wood on the riverbank of Yuge—"planed," as with a fine plane—it is not something that can stay hidden forever.
Commentary: Book Seven Allegorical Poems 1385

Headnote: "On Buried Wood"
As the buried wood on the riverbank of Yuge will one day come to light, so a hidden love is not something that can stay concealed forever. The wood buried in the earth stands for a love kept secret, and the poem reflects that such a love must in time become known.
It is the poem under the heading "On Buried Wood." After the poems "On Rivers," which tell of trying not to be found out, this one tells of a love that cannot be hidden forever. Yuge is a place in Kawachi. The poet is unknown.

The first line, "With a fine plane held," is a pillow word for Yuge, from "kezuru," to plane.
The second line refers to the riverbank of Yuge in Kawachi.
The third line, "the buried wood lies," closes a preface leading to "comes to light" in the fourth line.
The fourth line has an extra syllable; "mashiji" expresses negative conjecture: "should never come to light."
The final line, "it is not a thing," joins negation with a sigh.
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Migomori ni ikizuki amari hayakawa no se ni wa tatsu tomo hito ni iwame ya mo
Next Poem: Ōbune ni makaji shijinuki kogidenaba oki wa fukakemu shio wa hinu tomo