Hototogisu koyo naki watare tomoshibi o tsukuyo ni nasoe sono kage mo mimu

霍公鳥こよ鳴き渡れ燈火を
月夜になそへその影も見む

Roma-ji: Hototogisu koyo naki watare tomoshibi o tsukuyo ni nasoe sono kage mo mimu
English Translation: Hototogisu,
come this way and sing as you fly—
taking lamplight
for the bright light of the moon,
I would see your form as well.
Meaning: O cuckoo, sing as you pass this way! Taking the lamplight for moonlight, I would see your shape as well.
Commentary: Book Eighteen 4054

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Four poems from a banquet at the residence of the secretary Kume no Ason Hironawa, entertaining Tanabe no Fubito Sakimaro."
The poet calls on the cuckoo to fly singing past this way, so that, taking the lamplight for moonlight, he may see its form as well. Where the two preceding poems lament that the bird does not sing, this one, with an elegant conceit likening the lamps of the night banquet to moonlight, asks to see not only hear the bird.
Ōtomo no Yakamochi was the son of Ōtomo no Tabito, and from 746 he served as governor of Etchū. He is believed to have played a central role in compiling the Man'yōshū, and this book has the character of a poetic diary of his years in Etchū.
According to the left note, this poem and the next are by Yakamochi.

First line, "hototogisu": calling to the cuckoo, it repeats the opening of the two preceding poems.
Second line, "koyo naki watare": "koyo" means "by way of here," and the imperative calls to the bird. It echoes "koyu naki watare," the last line of 4035, which Sakimaro recited at the first banquet, so the banquet welcoming him and the one sending him off are bound by the same call to the cuckoo. The poem pauses after the second line.
Third line, "tomoshibi o": the lamps lighting the banquet, showing it to be a night gathering.
Fourth line, "tsukuyo ni nasoe": "nasou" means to liken or treat as. The conceit is to take the lamplight for moonlight.
Last line, "sono kage mo mimu": "kage" means form or figure. Wanting to see not only hear the bird shows the depth of feeling for it.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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