Haru no hana ima wa sakari ni niouramu orite kazasamu tajikara mo gamo

春の花今は盛りににほふらむ
折りてかざさむ手力もがも

Roma-ji: Haru no hana ima wa sakari ni niouramu orite kazasamu tajikara mo gamo
English Translation: The flowers of spring
must now be at their fullest,
glowing in their bloom—
if only I had the strength
to pluck them and wear them in my hair
Meaning: The spring flowers must be in full bloom now, glowing with color—if only I had strength enough in my hands to pick them and wear them in my hair.
Commentary: Book Seventeen 3965

Headnote: "Two poems of sorrow sent by Governor Ōtomo no Sukune Yakamochi to Ōtomo no Sukune Ikenushi," followed by a letter in Chinese beginning "Suddenly I sank into a grave illness and suffered for weeks on end"
The spring flowers must be at their height; if only he had the strength to pluck them and wear them in his hair—a poem thinking of spring from his sickbed. This is one of two poems Yakamochi sent Ikenushi from his sickbed on the twenty-ninth day of the second month of 747. The accompanying letter says that he sank into a grave illness and suffered for more than ten days; that after praying to the gods he recovered somewhat but his body was weak, so he could not yet call to give thanks, and his longing grew. It goes on: in this season, when spring flowers send their scent through the spring garden in the spring morning and spring warblers sing in the spring woods in the spring evening, one should enjoy the zither and wine, but he lacks the strength even to walk with a staff, and lying alone behind his curtains has made these slight poems. Unable to go out, he imagines the unseen height of spring and laments that he lacks even the strength to break off a flower.
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, "Twenty-ninth day of the second month, Ōtomo no Sukune Yakamochi."

First line, "haru no hana": the flowers scenting the spring garden in the letter; the same words stand in the third line of the next poem, 3966.
Second line, "ima wa sakari ni": "now at their height."
Third line, "niouramu": niou means to bloom radiantly and ramu is present conjecture, imagining flowers he cannot see from his sickbed. The poem pauses here.
Fourth line, "orite kazasamu": "to pluck and wear them in my hair," corresponding to "taori kazasamu" at the end of the next poem.
Fifth line, "tajikara mo gamo": tajikara is strength of hand and mogamo a particle of wishing—"if only I had the strength," lamenting the weakness of his sick body.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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