Notogawa no minasoko sae ni teru made ni mikasa no yama wa sakinikeru ka mo

能登川の水底さへに照るまでに
御笠の山は咲きにけるかも

Roma-ji: Notogawa no minasoko sae ni teru made ni mikasa no yama wa sakinikeru ka mo
English Translation: The Noto River
all the way down to its depths
shining with the light—
so the hill of Mikasa
has come into its full bloom.
Meaning: So brightly that even the depths of the Noto River shine, Mount Mikasa has burst into bloom.
Commentary: Book Ten Spring Miscellaneous Poems 1861

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Flowers"
This poem sings of cherry blossoms in full bloom on Mount Mikasa, so bright that they light even the depths of the Noto River flowing below. Capturing the brilliance of a mountain covered in blossoms as light reflected in the riverbed, it achieves a vivid visual beauty. Without naming the flower, it says the mountain itself has bloomed, widening the view once more from the yamabuki of the preceding poem to flowers that color a whole mountain.

The first line, "of the Noto River," names the river flowing at the foot of Mount Mikasa, south of the Kasuga hills.
In the second line, "minasoko sae ni," "sae" expresses addition, even to the bottom, showing the blossoms' light reaching the riverbed.
The third line, "so that it shines," uses "made ni" to express degree.
The fourth line, "Mount Mikasa," names the mountain in Kasuga, Nara, made the subject without naming the flower.
The last line, "has come into bloom," boldly says the mountain has bloomed, closing with the wonder of "keri" and "ka mo" at discovering a whole mountain in flower.
Source: Manyoshu
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