Ashihiki no yamakazurakage mashiba ni mo egataki kage o oki ya karasamu

あしひきの山かづらかげましばにも
得がたきかげを置きや枯らさむ

Roma-ji: Ashihiki no yamakazurakage mashiba ni mo egataki kage o oki ya karasamu
English Translation: Foot-dragging mountains—
the club moss of the high hills,
not often found,
so precious, hard to come by—
shall I leave it there to wither?
Meaning: The mountain club moss, so rarely to be found and hard to come by—shall I leave it where it is and let it wither?
Commentary: Book Fourteen Azuma Poems 3573

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Allegorical Poems"
Shall he leave the rare mountain club moss untouched until it withers? It is an allegory regretting the chance of a bond with a precious girl slipping away. Love for a girl likened to a rare plant and the frustration of being unable to decide are both expressed.
It is one of the allegorical poems. Yamakazurakage is thought to be the stag's-horn club moss, a plant used for garlands in sacred rites.
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, "ashihiki no": A pillow word for "mountain."
Second line, "yamakazurakage": "Yamakazurakage" is thought to be stag's-horn club moss, a figure for a hard-won girl.
Third line, "mashiba ni mo": "Mashiba" means often, leading to "rarely."
Fourth line, "egataki kage o": "The precious kage, hard to obtain," taking up "kage" from the second line.
Final line, "oki ya karasamu": "Ya" is an interrogative binding particle: shall I leave it to wither?
Source: Manyoshu
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