Waga yado ni sakishi akihagi chirisugite mi ni naru made ni kimi ni awanu ka mo

我が宿に咲きし秋萩散り過ぎて
実になるまでに君に逢はぬかも

Roma-ji: Waga yado ni sakishi akihagi chirisugite mi ni naru made ni kimi ni awanu ka mo
English Translation: At my own dwelling
autumn bush clover bloomed,
scattered, now it's past,
until it has turned to seed
you have not come to meet me!
Meaning: The autumn bush clover that bloomed at my home has scattered and gone to seed—and still you have not met me.
Commentary: Book Ten Autumn Love Poems 2286

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Love Expressed Through Flowers"
This poem laments not meeting the beloved through the long time until the bush clover at home has scattered and borne seed. The change of bush clover from flower to fruit shows the length of time apart. Following 2280, which knew the length of time apart by the clover's blooming, this one advances further in time, lamenting no meeting until the clover has gone to seed.

The first line, "at my dwelling," names the place.
In the second line, "sakishi akihagi," "shi" is the attributive of the past "ki": the clover that bloomed.
The third line, "having scattered," names the change.
The fourth line, "until it becomes fruit," names the span.
In the last line, "kimi ni awanu ka mo," "ka mo" is exclamatory, closing with a lament at not meeting.
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Akihagi no hanano no susuki ho ni wa idezu aga koiwataru komorizuma wa mo
Next Poem: Waga yado no hagi sakinikeri chiranu ma ni haya kite mibeshi nara no satobito