Momoshiki no ōmiyabito no kazurakeru shidariyanagi wa miredo akanu ka mo

ももしきの大宮人のかづらける
しだり柳は見れど飽かぬかも

Roma-ji: Momoshiki no ōmiyabito no kazurakeru shidariyanagi wa miredo akanu ka mo
English Translation: Built of countless stones,
the palace courtiers wear them,
twined as garlands now—
the willow with drooping boughs,
though I gaze, I never tire.
Meaning: The weeping willows that the courtiers of the great palace wear twined in their hair—however long I gaze at them, I never tire.
Commentary: Book Ten Spring Miscellaneous Poems 1852

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Willows"
This poem praises the beauty of the weeping willow worn as garlands by the people of the court. "Miredo akanu ka mo," though I gaze I never tire, is a set ending in the Man'yōshū expressing praise, and here it celebrates the splendid spring customs of the court. The willow wished to become a garland "for those who see it" in 1846 has here become the courtiers' actual garland, so the willow's growth and people's doings echo each other within the group.

The first line, "momoshiki no," is a pillow word attached to "palace," said to mean a palace built of many stones.
The second line, "of the palace people," refers to those who serve at court, the splendid people of the capital.
The third line, "kazurakeru," means wearing as a garland, a verb formed from "kazura" with the continuative "ri." It echoes "kazura ni subeku" in 1846.
The fourth line, "the drooping willow," presents the graceful form of the weeping willow.
The last line, "miredo akanu ka mo," is the set phrase of praise, closing with admiration for the beauty of spring at court.
Source: Manyoshu
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