Akihagi no shitaba no momichi hana ni tsugi toki sugiyukaba nochi koimu ka mo

秋萩の下葉の黄葉花に継ぎ
時過ぎゆかば後恋ひむかも

Roma-ji: Akihagi no shitaba no momichi hana ni tsugi toki sugiyukaba nochi koimu ka mo
English Translation: Autumn bush clover,
the crimson of its lower leaves
following the blooms—
should their season pass away,
later, will I long for them?
Meaning: The autumn color of the bush clover's lower leaves follows upon its flowers—and when that season too has passed, will I long for it afterward?
Commentary: Book Ten Autumn Miscellaneous Poems 2209

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Autumn Leaves"
This poem says that the lower leaves of the autumn bush clover color after its flowers, and when that season too has passed, the speaker will long for it. Bush clover colors autumn twice, first with flowers and then with leaves, and the poem shows regret that this too will soon pass. It seems to condense into one poem the flow from the bush clover group to the autumn leaves group.

The first line, "of the autumn bush clover," names the plant.
The second line, "the autumn color of its lower leaves," names what follows.
The third line, "following the flowers," names the sequence.
In the fourth line, "toki sugiyukaba," "ba" marks a supposition: if the season passes.
In the last line, "nochi koimu ka mo," "mu" is conjecture and "ka mo" a question tinged with exclamation, closing with the premonition of longing afterward.
Source: Manyoshu
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