Kamitsuke no asoyama tsuzura no o hiromi hainishi mono o aze ka taesemu

上つ毛野阿蘇山つづら野を広み
延ひにしものをあぜか絶えせむ

Roma-ji: Kamitsuke no asoyama tsuzura no o hiromi hainishi mono o aze ka taesemu
English Translation: In Kamitsuke,
the vines upon Mount Aso,
since the moor is wide,
have spread out and on and on—
how could they ever break off now?
Meaning: The vines of Mount Aso in Kamitsuke have spread far over the wide moor—how could they ever break off now?
Commentary: Book Fourteen Azuma Poems 3434

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Allegorical Poems"
As the vines of Mount Aso spread endlessly over the wide moor, how could the lovers' deep bond ever break? The spreading vine carries the certainty of a deep-rooted love.
The next three poems are allegories from Kōzuke, as the left note says: "The three poems above are from Kōzuke Province." Aso is also named in 3404 from Kōzuke and 3425 from Shimotsuke.
The poet is unknown. The Azuma uta are thought to have been sung among the people of the eastern provinces, and they are marked by plain, open-hearted expression mixed with local dialect.

First line, "kamitsuke no": The old name of Kōzuke, opening the first Kōzuke allegory.
Second line, "asoyama tsuzura": The vines growing on Mount Aso.
Third line, "no o hiromi": "O ... mi" gives a reason: because the moor is wide.
Fourth line, "hainishi mono o": "Hainishi" means have spread out, with "mono o" concessive.
Final line, "aze ka taesemu": "Aze ka" is an eastern "why," ending rhetorically: how could it break?
Source: Manyoshu
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