Kawazu naku kamunabigawa ni kage miete ima ka sakuramu yamabuki no hana

かはづ鳴く神奈備川に影見えて
今か咲くらむ山吹の花

Roma-ji: Kawazu naku kamunabigawa ni kage miete ima ka sakuramu yamabuki no hana
English Translation: Where the river frogs sing,
in the stream of Kamunabi,
their reflections shown,
are they blooming even now,
the yellow kerria flowers?
Meaning: By the Kamunabi River where the river frogs sing, are the yellow kerria flowers blooming now, their reflections mirrored in the water?
Commentary: Book Eight Spring Miscellaneous Poems 1435

Headnote: "A poem by Prince Atsumi"
The poet wonders whether the yellow kerria are blooming now, their reflections mirrored in the Kamunabi River where the river frogs sing. The clear voices, the flowing stream, and the yellow flowers reflected in the water come together in a single scene, and the poem is celebrated for its bright beauty.
The author, Prince Atsumi, was a member of the imperial family in the Nara period. His lineage is unclear, but he is known to have reached the Senior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade.
The poem was later included in the second book of spring poems of the Shin Kokin Wakashū.

The first line, "where the river frogs sing," conveys the clarity of the stream through the ear, for these frogs live in clear water.
The second line names a river flowing at the foot of a sacred mountain, said to be either the Asuka or the Tatsuta.
In the third line, "kage" means the image reflected on the water.
The fourth line forms a kakari-musubi between "ka" and the present conjectural "ramu," wondering from afar whether they bloom now.
The final line ends on a noun, placing the name of the imagined flower last and leaving a lingering resonance. Yellow kerria also appear in 1444 of this book, paired with violets in the fields.
Author: Prince Atsumi
Source: Manyoshu
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