Suminoe no ozume ni idete utsutsu ni mo ono zuma sura o kagami to mitsu mo

住吉の小集楽に出でてうつつにも
おの妻すらを鏡と見つも

Roma-ji: Suminoe no ozume ni idete utsutsu ni mo ono zuma sura o kagami to mitsu mo
English Translation: In Suminoe,
out at the gathering of songs,
in waking truth,
my very own wife I saw
shining like a mirror bright.
Meaning: Out at the song gathering in Suminoe, I saw, not in a dream but in truth, my own wife shining as bright as a mirror.
Commentary: Book Sixteen Poems with Tales of Origin and Miscellaneous Poems 3808

Headnote: none; the left note reads: "The story goes that long ago there was a country fellow, his name unknown. At that time the men and women of his village gathered for an outing in the fields. Among them was this man and his wife, whose beauty surpassed all the rest. His love for his wife grew all the more, and he made this poem praising her beauty."
At the outing in Suminoe, the husband sees his familiar wife anew, radiant as a mirror. His joy and pride on noticing her beauty again among so many people come through with simple charm.
According to the left note, when the village men and women gathered for an outing, one country couple's wife was more beautiful than anyone else, so her husband loved her all the more and praised her beauty in this poem.
The poet is the country man of the tale; his name is not recorded.

First line, "Suminoe no," names Suminoe in Settsu. The maidens' poem 3801 also begins with Suminoe, and the place recurs in this book.
Second line, "ozume ni idete," means "going out to the song gathering." Ozume is a place where people gathered to sing, dance and make merry.
Third line, "utsutsu ni mo," means "in waking reality, not in a dream."
Fourth line, "ono zuma sura o," means "even my own wife." Sura shows surprise that even the wife he knows so well should look so fine.
Final line, "kagami to mitsu mo," means "I saw her as a mirror." Mirrors were precious, gleaming treasures, so the image praises her beauty.
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Asakayama kage sae miyuru yama no i no asaki kokoro o waga omowanaku ni
Next Poem: Akikaeshi mesu to no minori araba koso aga shitagoromo kaeshi tamawame