Ume no hana mazu saku eda o taoriteba tsuto to nazukete yosoetemu ka mo

梅の花まづ咲く枝を手折りてば
つとと名付けてよそへてむかも

Roma-ji: Ume no hana mazu saku eda o taoriteba tsuto to nazukete yosoetemu ka mo
English Translation: Blossoms of the plum,
should I break the branch that first
came to bloom, and then,
calling it a gift to bring,
would they link it to my love?
Meaning: If I break off the first branch of plum to bloom and call it a gift, will people link it to you?
Commentary: Book Ten Winter Miscellaneous Poems 2326

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Flowers"
This poem wonders whether, if the first-blooming plum branch were broken off and called a gift, it would be likened to the beloved. It shows both care for plum blossoms that bloomed while still winter and the wish to overlay them on the beloved. "Yosoe" is said also to echo fear of being linked by gossip, suggesting the wavering of a lover's heart.

The first line, "plum blossoms," names the flowers.
The second line, "the branch that blooms first," names it.
In the third line, "taoriteba," "te" marks completion and "ba" a supposition: if I break it.
In the fourth line, "tsuto to nazukete," "tsuto" means a gift.
In the last line, "yosoetemu ka mo," "yosou" means to liken or link, "temu" combines emphasis and conjecture, and "ka mo" is a question tinged with exclamation.
Source: Manyoshu
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