Hototogisu nakite suginishi okabi kara akikaze fukinu yoshi mo aranaku ni

霍公鳥鳴きて過ぎにし岡びから
秋風吹きぬよしもあらなくに

Roma-ji: Hototogisu nakite suginishi okabi kara akikaze fukinu yoshi mo aranaku ni
English Translation: From the hillside where
the hototogisu passed by
singing on its way,
now the autumn wind blows here—
though I have no way to her
Meaning: From the hillside where the hototogisu sang and passed away, the autumn wind has come blowing—though I have no way to meet her.
Commentary: Book Seventeen 3946

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Poems from a banquet gathered at the residence of Governor Ōtomo no Sukune Yakamochi on the night of the seventh day of the eighth month"
From the hillside where the hototogisu passed singing, the autumn wind now blows, though there is no way to meet his wife—a poem setting longing for her against the turn of the seasons. This is one of the poems from a banquet held on the night of the seventh day of the eighth month of 746, when the provincial officials gathered at the residence of Yakamochi, newly arrived as Governor of Etchū. The shift from the summer hototogisu to the autumn wind is laid over the passing time of one away from home and the grief of not meeting.
The poet, Ōtomo no Ikenushi, served as Secretary of Etchū under Governor Yakamochi. A member of the same clan and well versed in Chinese verse and prose, he exchanged many poems and letters with Yakamochi during the Etchū years.
The left note reads, "The above three poems are by Secretary Ōtomo no Sukune Ikenushi."

First line, "hototogisu": the bird of early summer, a symbol of the summer now gone.
Second line, "nakite suginishi": "that sang and passed," nishi being perfective and past auxiliaries.
Third line, "okabi kara": okabi means the area of the hill, and kara marks a starting point—"from about the hill."
Fourth line, "akikaze fukinu": "the autumn wind has blown"; the poem pauses here. In 3947 too, "akikaze samushi," the autumn wind recurs among the banquet poems.
Fifth line, "yoshi mo aranaku ni": "though there is no way," taking up "kimu yoshi mo gamo" in the preceding poem, 3945, and lamenting there is no means of meeting his wife.
Author: Ōtomo no Ikenushi
Source: Manyoshu
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