Akizukeba mikusa no hana no aenu gani omoedo shiraji tada ni awazareba

秋づけば水草の花のあえぬがに
思へど知らじ直に逢はざれば

Roma-ji: Akizukeba mikusa no hana no aenu gani omoedo shiraji tada ni awazareba
English Translation: As the autumn nears,
like the water-grass flowers
almost spilling down,
so I yearn, but you don't know,
since we have not met in person.
Meaning: As autumn deepens, I long so much that I am like the water-grass flowers about to spill—yet you will not know, since we have not met face to face.
Commentary: Book Ten Autumn Love Poems 2272

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Love Expressed Through Flowers"
This poem laments that though the speaker yearns so much, like water-grass flowers about to spill as autumn comes, the other will not know it, since they have not met face to face. The image of flowers about to spill is overlaid with a love about to overflow. The frustration of feelings that cannot be conveyed shows in the word "shiraji."

The first line, "as it becomes autumnal," sets the time.
The second line, "the water-grass flowers," names the flowers.
In the third line, "aenu gani," "ayu" means to spill and "gani" means to the extent: so much they nearly spill.
In the fourth line, "omoedo shiraji," "ji" is negative conjecture: though I yearn, you will not know.
In the last line, "tada ni awazareba," "tada ni" means directly, closing with the reason it is not known.
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Kusa fukami korogi sawa ni naku yado no hagi mi ni kimi wa itsu ka kimasamu
Next Poem: Nani su to ka kimi o itowamu akihagi no sono hatsuhana no ureshiki mono o