Matsu no hana hanakazu ni shimo waga seko ga omoeranaku ni motona sakitsutsu

松の花花数にしも我が背子が
思へらなくにもとな咲きつつ

Roma-ji: Matsu no hana hanakazu ni shimo waga seko ga omoeranaku ni motona sakitsutsu
English Translation: The flowers of the pine—
you do not count them among
the flowers at all,
my beloved, yet for nothing
they go on blooming and waiting
Meaning: Though you, my love, do not even count the pine's flowers among the blossoms, they go on blooming in vain.
Commentary: Book Seventeen 3942

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Twelve poems sent by Lady Heguri to Ōtomo no Sukune Yakamochi, Governor of Etchū"
Though he does not even count pine flowers as flowers, they go on blooming in vain—a poem entrusting herself, unregarded, to the pine flower. This is one of twelve poems that Lady Heguri entrusted to messengers from time to time and sent to Yakamochi, who had left the capital as Governor of Etchū. She lays her own unnoticed waiting over the inconspicuous pine flower, bringing the twelve poems to a close.
The poet, Lady Heguri, was a woman of the Heguri clan whose life is otherwise unknown. She was one of the women who exchanged love poems with Yakamochi.
The left note reads, "The above twelve poems were sent from time to time by passing messengers; they were not sent all at once."

First line, "matsu no hana": the inconspicuous pine flower; matsu ("pine") puns on matsu ("wait"), likening herself to one who keeps waiting. It opens by taking up "kimi o shi matamu" of the preceding poem, 3941.
Second line, "hanakazu ni shimo": "even among the number of flowers," shimo being emphatic.
Third line, "waga seko ga": "my beloved," meaning Yakamochi.
Fourth line, "omoeranaku ni": "though you do not think so," running adversatively into the last line.
Fifth line, "motona sakitsutsu": motona means "in vain," the same word as in 3939. Trailing off with tsutsu, it leaves a lingering feeling and closes the twelve.
Author: Lady Heguri
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Uguisu no naku kuratani ni uchihamete yake wa shinu tomo kimi o shi matamu
Next Poem: Aki no ta no homuki migateri waga seko ga fusa taorikeru ominaeshi kamo