Omou ko ga koromo suramu ni nioi koso shima no harihara aki tatazu tomo

思ふ子が衣摺らむににほひこそ
島の榛原秋立たずとも

Roma-ji: Omou ko ga koromo suramu ni nioi koso shima no harihara aki tatazu tomo
English Translation: So my love may dye
her robe by rubbing color in,
glow now, I beg you,
alder groves of Shima,
though autumn has not yet come.
Meaning: So that the girl I love can rub-dye her robe, glow with color, O alder groves of Shima, even though autumn has not yet come.
Commentary: Book Ten Summer Miscellaneous Poems 1965

Headnote: "On the Alder"
This poem calls on the alder grove to turn color without waiting for autumn, so that the beloved girl may use it to rub-dye her robe. Its headnote is "On the Alder." The alder was used as a dye for cloth, and the wish that it color early for the beloved's sake carries deep affection. Among the summer miscellaneous poems, it wishes ahead of time for autumn's coloring.

The first line, "the girl I love," names the beloved.
The second line, "to rub-dye her robe," uses "mu" in a softening sense.
In the third line, "nioi koso," "niou" means to glow with color and "koso" is a particle of wishing. The poem breaks here.
The fourth line, "the alder groves of Shima," is the one addressed.
In the last line, "aki tatazu tomo," "tomo" marks a concessive supposition, closing with the strength of the wish: even if autumn has not come.
Source: Manyoshu
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