Sashinabe ni yu wakase kodomo Ichiitsu no hibashi yori komu kitsune ni amusamu

さし鍋に湯沸かせ子ども櫟津の
桧橋より来む狐に浴むさむ

Roma-ji: Sashinabe ni yu wakase kodomo Ichiitsu no hibashi yori komu kitsune ni amusamu
English Translation: In the spouted pot
heat the water now, my lads!
At Ichiitsu
the fox crossing the cypress bridge—
we'll give him a scalding bath!
Meaning: Boil some water in the spouted pot, lads! We'll douse the fox that comes over the cypress bridge at Ichiitsu!
Commentary: Book Sixteen Poems with Tales of Origin and Miscellaneous Poems 3824

Headnote: "Eight poems by Naga no Imiki Okimaro."
The poet calls on the company to boil water in the spouted pot and douse the fox coming over the cypress bridge at Ichiitsu. Prompted by a fox's cry heard at a late-night banquet, it is counted a masterpiece of improvisation that weaves in every object given as its theme.
According to the left note, as people were feasting together, a fox was heard crying in the third watch of the night. They urged Okimaro to make a poem using the serving vessels, utensils, the fox's cry, the river bridge and so on, and he composed this one at once. The spouted pot stands for the serving vessels, the hitsu hidden in Ichiitsu for a storage chest, the cypress bridge for the river bridge, and the fox for its cry.
Naga no Okimaro was a court poet in the reigns of Empress Jitō and Emperor Monmu, bearing the title Imiki. He left poems composed on imperial outings and many impromptu verses weaving in the names of things.

First line, "sashinabe ni," means "in the spouted pot," bringing in the serving vessels of the theme.
Second line, "yu wakase kodomo," means "boil water, lads," and the poem pauses here. Kodomo calls to the company present.
Third line, "Ichiitsu no," is a place name in Yamato that conceals hitsu, a chest, among the utensils.
Fourth line, "hibashi yori komu," means "that will come over the cypress bridge," bringing in the river bridge.
Final line, "kitsune ni amusamu," means "we'll douse the fox." Taking up the fox's cry heard in the night, it ends with banquet-worthy comedy.
Author: Naga no Okimaro
Source: Manyoshu
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