Harugasumi nagaruru nae ni aoyagi no eda kuimochite uguisu naku mo

春霞流るるなへに青柳の
枝くひ持ちて鴬鳴くも

Roma-ji: Harugasumi nagaruru nae ni aoyagi no eda kuimochite uguisu naku mo
English Translation: While the haze of spring
drifts and flows along its way,
of the green willow
holding a branch in its beak,
the warbler is singing now.
Meaning: As the spring haze drifts along, a bush warbler, holding a green willow twig in its beak, is singing.
Commentary: Book Ten Spring Miscellaneous Poems 1821

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Birds"
This poem depicts a bush warbler singing with a twig of green willow in its beak as the spring haze drifts by. Gathering haze, green willow, and warbler into one poem, it paints a lively spring scene like a picture. The fine observation of the warbler holding a twig is striking, making this one of the most painterly poems in the group.

The first line, "spring haze," names the haze that rises in spring. The haze that has filled the book from its opening carries on into this group of bird poems.
In the second line, "nagaruru nae ni," "nae ni" means along with or at the same time as. It overlays the drifting of the haze and the movement of the warbler.
The third line, "of the green willow," names a willow freshly in leaf. Like "on the willow's tips" in 1819, it shows the pairing of willow and warbler.
The fourth line, "holding a branch in its beak," uses "kuu," to hold in the mouth, depicting the warbler in fine detail.
In the last line, "the warbler sings," "mo" is an exclamatory particle. The same ending also appears in 1824, 1825, and 1830, forming a pattern repeated within the group.
Source: Manyoshu
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