Kono yūbe akikaze fukinu shiratsuyu ni arasou hagi no asu sakamu mimu

この夕秋風吹きぬ白露に
争ふ萩の明日咲かむ見む

Roma-ji: Kono yūbe akikaze fukinu shiratsuyu ni arasou hagi no asu sakamu mimu
English Translation: On this evening now
the autumn wind has blown at last;
with the silver dew
struggling, the bush clover blooms—
tomorrow I'll see it bloom.
Meaning: This evening the autumn wind has begun to blow. I will see tomorrow the bush clover, vying with the white dew, burst into bloom.
Commentary: Book Ten Autumn Miscellaneous Poems 2102

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Flowers"
On an evening when the autumn wind has begun to blow, this poem looks forward to seeing the bush clover, vying with the white dew, bloom tomorrow. It shows both a heart eagerly awaiting the clover's blossoming and the clover's vitality in blooming despite the dew. In 2116 too we find "the bush clover that bloomed, unable to resist the white dew," so the relation of white dew and bush clover is sung repeatedly in the group.

The first line, "this evening," is a short line.
In the second line, "akikaze fukinu," "nu" marks completion, and the poem breaks here.
The third line, "against the white dew," names the rival.
The fourth line, "the bush clover that vies," personifies the clover as blooming in defiance of the dew.
In the last line, "asu sakamu mimu," the first "mu" is conjecture and the second intention; the line is hypermetric, closing with anticipation of tomorrow's blooming.
Source: Manyoshu
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