Fuyugomori haru saku hana o taorimochi chitabi no kagiri koiwataru ka mo

冬こもり春咲く花を手折り持ち
千たびの限り恋ひわたるかも

Roma-ji: Fuyugomori haru saku hana o taorimochi chitabi no kagiri koiwataru ka mo
English Translation: Winter's hiding past,
the flowers that bloom in spring
breaking off, I hold,
and to a thousand times' end
on and on I go on longing.
Meaning: Holding in my hand the flowers of spring that I have broken off, I go on longing for you, to the limit of a thousand times.
Commentary: Book Ten Spring Love Poems 1891

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Spring Love Poems"
This poem holds a sprig of spring flowers, overlays their beauty with the beloved, and sings of longing without end. The exaggerated phrase "to the limit of a thousand times" shows the depth of an inexhaustible love. Following the preceding poem of parting, it sings of the longing that continues after the separation.
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro was a court poet of the Asuka period, active under Empress Jitō and Emperor Monmu. The left note records that this poem comes from the Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection, and it is uncertain whether it is Hitomaro's own work or a poem by someone else that he recorded.

The first line, "fuyugomori," is a pillow word for "spring," the same opening as 1824.
The second line, "the flowers that bloom in spring," overlays the plucked blossoms with the image of the beloved.
The third line, "breaking and holding them," describes plucking the flowers by hand.
The fourth line, "to the limit of a thousand times," expresses the depth of love through numerical exaggeration.
In the last line, "koiwataru ka mo," "wataru" means to continue on and "ka mo" is exclamatory, closing with a sigh over endless love.
Author: Kakinomoto no Hitomaro
Source: Manyoshu
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