Karigane wa tsukai ni komu to sawakuramu akikaze samumi sono kawa no he ni

雁がねは使ひに来むと騒くらむ
秋風寒みその川の上に

Roma-ji: Karigane wa tsukai ni komu to sawakuramu akikaze samumi sono kawa no he ni
English Translation: The wild geese, I think,
will be clamoring to come
hither as envoys,
now the autumn wind is cold,
there upon that river's banks
Meaning: The wild geese must be clamoring to come here as messengers, now that the autumn wind has turned cold, there on the banks of that river.
Commentary: Book Seventeen 3953

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"
Now that the autumn wind is cold, the geese must be clamoring on the riverbank to come here as messengers—a poem longing for the capital through the geese that carry letters. 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. Drawing on the Chinese tale of geese as letter-bearers, it entrusts his longing for news from the capital to geese not yet seen.
The poet, Ōtomo no Yakamochi, was the son of the Major Counselor Ōtomo no Tabito. Appointed Governor of Etchū in 746, he spent five years there, later serving as Junior Counselor and Governor of Inaba before rising to Middle Counselor. He is thought to have played a central role in compiling the Man'yōshū.
The left note reads, "The above two poems are by Governor Ōtomo no Sukune Yakamochi."

First line, "karigane wa": karigane first meant the cry of geese and then the geese themselves. In 3947 too the time of the geese's coming is said to be near.
Second line, "tsukai ni komu to": "to come as messengers," drawing on the Chinese story of a goose carrying a letter.
Third line, "sawakuramu": ramu is present conjecture—"they must be clamoring." The poem pauses here.
Fourth line, "akikaze samumi": "since the autumn wind is cold," a mi-construction sharing the seasonal feeling of "akikaze samushi" in 3947.
Fifth line, "sono kawa no he ni": "on the banks of that river," giving by inversion the place where the geese clamor.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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