classic waka stream

妹が家に伊久里の杜の藤の花
今来む春も常かくし見む
Roma-ji

Imo ga ie ni Ikuri no mori no fuji no hana ima komu haru mo tsune kaku shi mimu

English Translation
To my love's house I go—
at Ikuri, in the grove,
wisteria in bloom:
in the springs that are to come
thus may I always see you
Meaning
The wisteria blossoms in the grove of Ikuri—in the spring to come, too, may I always see them just as they are now.
Commentary
Book Seventeen 3952

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", and also "An old poem (composed by Ōhara no Mahito Takayasu); the date is not known; it is simply recorded here as it was heard"
May one always see the wisteria of the grove of Ikuri like this in the springs to come—a poem delighting in the wisteria. 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. This poem, however, was not composed at the banquet: it is an old poem by Ōhara no Takayasu recited at the gathering by the monk Genshō, and its date is unknown. At an autumn banquet an old poem about spring flowers was offered, adding a blessing that all might gather again in the year to come.
The poet, Ōhara no Takayasu, was formerly Prince Takayasu, who left the imperial family and received the name Ōhara no Mahito.
The left note reads, "The above poem was recited by the monk Genshō."

First line, "imo ga ie ni": "to my love's house," a pillow word for Ikuri through iku ("go").
Second line, "Ikuri no mori no": the grove of Ikuri is unidentified; one theory places it in Tonami District, Etchū.
Third line, "fuji no hana": wisteria, a spring flower, blooming in the grove of Ikuri.
Fourth line, "ima komu haru mo": "in the spring that is coming," looking from an autumn banquet toward the next spring.
Fifth line, "tsune kaku shi mimu": shi is emphatic and mu expresses intention—"may I always see them thus," wishing for unchanging prosperity.
Author
Ōhara no Takayasu
Source
Manyoshu
Prev Poem
Higurashi no nakinuru toki wa ominaeshi sakitaru nobe o yukitsutsu mibeshi
Next Poem
Karigane wa tsukai ni komu to sawakuramu akikaze samumi sono kawa no he ni