Hagi no hana sakeru o mireba kimi ni awazu makoto mo hisa ni narinikeru ka mo

萩の花咲けるを見れば君に逢はず
まことも久になりにけるかも

Roma-ji: Hagi no hana sakeru o mireba kimi ni awazu makoto mo hisa ni narinikeru ka mo
English Translation: The bush clover blooms—
when I see it flowering,
not meeting you, love,
truly now, how long it's been,
how the time has come to pass!
Meaning: Seeing the bush clover in bloom, I realize how truly long it has been since I last met you.
Commentary: Book Ten Autumn Love Poems 2280

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Love Expressed Through Flowers"
This poem, seeing the bush clover in bloom, realizes how truly long it has been without meeting the beloved. Through the seasonal change of the clover's blooming, it feels the length of time apart. Like 2244, where the beloved did not come until the rice harvest, it shows the length of time apart through seasonal change.

The first line, "the bush clover blossoms," names the flowers.
The second line, "when I see them bloom," names the moment.
The third line, "without meeting you," is hypermetric.
The fourth line, "truly for so long," names the span.
In the last line, "narinikeru ka mo," "keri" and "ka mo" are exclamatory, closing with the realization of time's passing.
Source: Manyoshu
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