Hototogisu nakishi sunawachi kimi ga ie ni yuke to oishi wa itarikemu kamo

霍公鳥鳴きしすなはち君が家に
行けと追ひしは至りけむかも

Roma-ji: Hototogisu nakishi sunawachi kimi ga ie ni yuke to oishi wa itarikemu kamo
English Translation: O cuckoo, you bird,
the moment that it had sung,
off to your house, love,
"go!" I drove it on its way:
has it reached you by now?
Meaning: The cuckoo I drove off toward your house the moment it began to sing: has it reached you by now?
Commentary: Book Eight Summer Love Poems 1505

Headnote: "A poem sent by Lady Ōmiwa to Ōtomo no Yakamochi"
The poet asks Yakamochi whether the cuckoo she drove off toward his house the moment it sang has reached him yet. The conceit is that she sent the cuckoo as a messenger of love, hoping that if he hears its voice he will realize her feelings.
The author, Lady Ōmiwa, was a woman who exchanged poems with Ōtomo no Yakamochi; little else is known of her.

The first line names the bird she sent as messenger.
The second line means "the moment it sang," showing that she sent it off without hesitation.
The third line points to Yakamochi's house.
The fourth line means "what I drove off, saying go." Following 1498 of this book, which asks the cuckoo to "go and tell him," this poem sings of the feelings after the bird has already been sent.
The final line adds "kamo" to the past conjectural "kemu," wondering whether it has arrived by now.
Author: Ōmiwa no Iratsume
Source: Manyoshu
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