Tamabahaki kariko Kamamaro muro no ki to natsume ga moto to kakihakamu tame

玉掃刈り来鎌麻呂むろの木と
棗が本とかき掃かむため

Roma-ji: Tamabahaki kariko Kamamaro muro no ki to natsume ga moto to kakihakamu tame
English Translation: Go cut broom-grass,
Kamamaro, bring it here,
so beneath the juniper
and the jujube's roots as well
we can sweep the ground clean.
Meaning: Go and cut some broom-grass and bring it, Kamamaro, so we can sweep clean beneath the juniper and around the jujube's roots.
Commentary: Book Sixteen Poems with Tales of Origin and Miscellaneous Poems 3830

Headnote: "A poem on broom-grass, a sickle, juniper and jujube."
The poet orders one Kamamaro to cut broom-grass to sweep beneath the juniper and the jujube. Turning the sickle (kama) into a personal name is a witty touch, and the four objects fit in effortlessly.
This is one of eight poems by Naga no Okimaro, playful banquet pieces composed on the spot by weaving in the names of things. The wit lies in fitting every object named in the title neatly into a single poem.
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, "tamabahaki," names a grass used for brooms, bringing in the broom-grass.
Second line, "kariko Kamamaro," means "cut it and bring it, Kamamaro." The sickle becomes the name Kamamaro, and the poem pauses here.
Third line, "muro no ki to," means "the juniper and," bringing in the juniper.
Fourth line, "natsume ga moto to," means "the jujube's roots," bringing in the jujube.
Final line, "kakihakamu tame," means "to sweep them clean." Inverted, it gives the purpose of the command, and "sweep" echoes the broom of the first line.
Author: Naga no Okimaro
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Hishio su ni hiru tsukikatete tai negau ware ni na mie so nagi no atsumono
Next Poem: Ikegami no rikijimai kamo shirasagi no hoko kui mochite tobi wataruramu