Haruyama no ashibi no hana no ashikaranu kimi ni wa shieya yosoru tomo yoshi

春山の馬酔木の花の悪しからぬ
君にはしゑや寄そるともよし

Roma-ji: Haruyama no ashibi no hana no ashikaranu kimi ni wa shieya yosoru tomo yoshi
English Translation: On the hills of spring
like the ashibi blossoms,
you are not so bad—
so, oh well, with you, I say,
let them link us; that's all right.
Meaning: Like the ashibi blossoms on the spring hills, you are not bad at all—so, let it be, I don't mind if people link my name with yours.
Commentary: Book Ten Spring Love Poems 1926

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Poems in Dialogue"
This poem sings of accepting love's rumors, saying the speaker does not mind being linked by gossip with someone so appealing, and it stands at the head of the dialogue poems. The "ashi" of "ashibi" leads through its sound into "ashikaranu," not bad, overlaying the beauty of a flower blooming on the spring hills with the other's charm. It is thought to form an exchange with the next poem, 1927.

The first line, "of the spring hills," is the same opening as 1890 and others.
The second line, "the ashibi blossoms," with the upper lines forming a preface leading into the homophonous "ashi." The ashibi is also a figure for love in 1903.
The third line, "ashikaranu," not bad, shows affection through understatement.
In the fourth line, "kimi ni wa shieya," "shieya" is an interjection of resignation: oh, let it be.
In the last line, "yosoru tomo yoshi," "yosoru" means to be linked by rumor, closing with the resolve that being gossiped about is fine.
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Asatode no kimi ga sugata o yoku mizute nagaki haruhi o koi ya kurasamu
Next Poem: Isonokami furu no kamusugi kamubinishi ware ya sarasara koi ni ainikeru