Shiratōfu oniitayama no moru yama no uragare senana tokoha ni mogamo

しらとほふ小新田山の守る山の
うら枯れせなな常葉にもがも

Roma-ji: Shiratōfu oniitayama no moru yama no uragare senana tokoha ni mogamo
English Translation: Shiratōfu,
on the little Nitta hills,
the warded mountain—
let its leaf-tips never wither,
may its leaves stay ever green.
Meaning: Like the trees on Little Mount Nitta, the mountain under guard, may the leaf tips never wither—may they stay green forever.
Commentary: Book Fourteen Azuma Poems 3436

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Allegorical Poems"
Like the trees of Little Mount Nitta, guarded by its warden, the singer wishes their love may never wither but stay ever green. A carefully guarded mountain bears the wish for a love that will last.
The left note reads "The three poems above are from Kōzuke Province," and this is the last Kōzuke allegory. Mount Nitta, also sung in 3408, is thought to be Kanayama in Ōta, Gunma.
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, "shiratōfu": Thought to be a pillow word for Nitta, though its meaning is unknown.
Second line, "oniitayama no": "O" is a prefix; Mount Nitta is also sung in 3408.
Third line, "moru yama no": A mountain kept by a warden, read by some as a figure for a cherished girl.
Fourth line, "uragare senana": "Uragare" is the withering of leaf tips, and "senana" is an eastern form of "sezu ni."
Final line, "tokoha ni mogamo": "Tokoha" means evergreen leaves, and "mogamo" expresses a wish.
Source: Manyoshu
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