Mizu o ōmi ageta ni tane maki hie o ōmi eraeshi waza zo waga hitori nuru

水を多み上田に種蒔き稗を多み
選らえし業ぞ我がひとり寝る

Roma-ji: Mizu o ōmi ageta ni tane maki hie o ōmi eraeshi waza zo waga hitori nuru
English Translation: Too much water, so
the seed was sown in upland fields,
too many weeds, so
I was sorted out and cast aside,
and now I sleep alone
Meaning: Because of too much water the seed was sown in the upper fields, and because of too many weeds I was sorted out and thrown away; that is why I now sleep alone.
Commentary: Book Twelve Expressing Thoughts through Things 2999

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Thoughts through Things"
The poet laments that, like barnyard millet weeded out from among the rice, he has been sorted out and discarded by his lover and now sleeps alone. Its distinctive feature is voicing resentment at being cast aside through the image of farm work.
The poet is unknown. Book Twelve, titled the second part of "Love Poems Exchanged Old and New," gathers love poems by people whose names have not come down to us, arranged by category.

Line one, "mizu o ōmi," means "because there is too much water," pairing with "hie o ōmi" in line three.
Line two, "ageta ni tane maki," means "sowing seed in upper fields."
Line three, "hie o ōmi," means "because there are too many weeds."
Line four, "eraeshi waza zo," means "it is the result of being sorted out," likening the poet to millet pulled from among rice seedlings and discarded.
Line five, "waga hitori nuru," means "that I sleep alone," concluding in the attributive in answer to "zo."
Author: Unknown
Source: Manyoshu
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