Nashi natsume kimi ni awa tsugi hau kuzu no nochi mo awamu to aoi hana saku

梨棗黍に粟つぎ延ふ葛の
後も逢はむと葵花咲く

Roma-ji: Nashi natsume kimi ni awa tsugi hau kuzu no nochi mo awamu to aoi hana saku
English Translation: Pear and jujube,
then millet, foxtail millet;
like the trailing kudzu,
"let us meet again," it says—
the hollyhock comes to bloom.
Meaning: Pear and jujube, millet and then foxtail millet; like the trailing kudzu vine, the hollyhock blooms as if to say, "Let us meet again."
Commentary: Book Sixteen Poems with Tales of Origin and Miscellaneous Poems 3834

Headnote: "A poem by an unknown author; one poem."
Listing pear, jujube, millet, foxtail millet, kudzu and hollyhock, the poem slips in a lover's wish to meet again. It shines with wordplay: kimi (millet) hides "you," awa (foxtail millet) hides "to meet," and aoi (hollyhock) hides "the day we meet."
Like the two preceding poems, it is a game of weaving in the names of things. Its ingenuity lies in not merely listing them but turning them into a love poem through wordplay.
The headnote says "author unknown," and the poet's name is not recorded.

First line, "nashi natsume," means "pear and jujube," opening with a list of fruits.
Second line, "kimi ni awa tsugi," means "then millet and foxtail millet." Kimi also means "you," and awa also suggests "to meet," layering a wish that meetings with you continue.
Third line, "hau kuzu no," means "like the trailing kudzu." The long-reaching vine leads into nochi mo, "later too," in the fourth line.
Fourth line, "nochi mo awamu to," means "let us meet again," stating outright the "meeting" hidden in awa.
Final line, "aoi hana saku," means "the hollyhock blooms." Aoi also means "the day we meet," entrusting to the flower the hope that such a day will come.
Source: Manyoshu
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