Ume no hana furiōu yuki o tsutsumimochi kimi ni misemu to toreba ketsutsu

梅の花降り覆ふ雪を包み持ち
君に見せむと取れば消につつ

Roma-ji: Ume no hana furiōu yuki o tsutsumimochi kimi ni misemu to toreba ketsutsu
English Translation: Snow that settles down
covering the blossoming plum—
wrapping it, I hold
thinking I will show it you,
but it melts at every touch.
Meaning: I gather up in my hands the snow that has fallen over the plum blossoms, meaning to show it to you, but whenever I take it, it melts away.
Commentary: Book Ten Spring Miscellaneous Poems 1833

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Snow"
This poem longs to show a beloved the lovely snow that has settled on the plum blossoms, but the snow melts as soon as it is taken up. The simple wish to share something beautiful with the one you love, and the frustration of being unable to do so, are expressed through the fragility of snow. The pairing of plum and snow suits this group, which sings of winter's lingering in spring.

The first line, "plum blossoms," names a spring flower and leads into the scene of snow falling upon it, overlaying plum and snow to show the beauty of white.
The second line, "the snow that falls and covers them," depicts snow settling as if wrapping the blossoms.
The third line, "wrapping and holding it," shows the care with which the poet handles the snow.
In the fourth line, "meaning to show it to you," "mu" expresses intention, the wish to show something beautiful to a beloved.
In the last line, "toreba ketsutsu," "ke" is the continuative form of "ku," to vanish, and "tsutsu" marks repetition, closing with the futility of snow that melts each time it is taken up.
Source: Manyoshu
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