Hisakata no ame mo furanu ka hachisuba ni tamareru mizu no tama ni nitaru mimu

ひさかたの雨も降らぬか蓮葉に
溜まれる水の玉に似たる見む

Roma-ji: Hisakata no ame mo furanu ka hachisuba ni tamareru mizu no tama ni nitaru mimu
English Translation: From the far heavens,
if only the rain would fall,
that on lotus leaves
I might watch the pooling drops
shine and roll like pearls.
Meaning: If only the rain would fall, so that I might see the water gathered on the lotus leaves shining like jewels.
Commentary: Book Sixteen Poems with Tales of Origin and Miscellaneous Poems 3837

Headnote: none; the left note reads: "The story goes that there was a guard of the Right Palace Guards [name unknown] who was gifted at making poems. The Guards headquarters laid on food and wine to entertain its officers, and all the dishes were served on lotus leaves. As the wine flowed, songs and dances followed one upon another. They urged the guard, saying, 'Make a poem on these lotus leaves,' and he composed this poem on the spot."
The poet wishes the rain would fall so he might watch the water gathered on the lotus leaves gleam like jewels. From leaves used as dishes, his imagination moves to lotus leaves glistening with rain.
According to the left note, at a banquet of the Right Palace Guards all the food was served on lotus leaves. As songs and dances went on amid the wine, a guard skilled in verse was urged to make a poem on the lotus leaves, and he answered at once with this one.
The poet is a guard of the Right Palace Guards; his name is not recorded.

First line, "hisakata no," is a pillow word for "rain."
Second line, "ame mo furanu ka," means "if only the rain would fall," and the poem pauses here. Nu ka expresses a wish.
Third line, "hachisuba ni," means "on the lotus leaves." Like Naga no Okimaro's poem 3826 in this book, it takes up lotus leaves used as dishes at a banquet.
Fourth line, "tamareru mizu no," means "the water gathered there."
Final line, "tama ni nitaru mimu," means "I would see it like jewels." Hypermetric at eight syllables, it ends on a lovely image of droplets rolling like pearls on a lotus leaf.
Source: Manyoshu
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