Tachibana no too no tachibana yatsuyo ni mo are wa wasureji kono tachibana o

橘のとをの橘八つ代にも
我れは忘れじこの橘を

Roma-ji: Tachibana no too no tachibana yatsuyo ni mo are wa wasureji kono tachibana o
English Translation: O tachibana,
tachibana laden full,
through eight ages more
I will never forget it,
this tachibana here.
Meaning: O tachibana, tachibana heavy with fruit—through age upon age I will never forget this tachibana.
Commentary: Book Eighteen 4058

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Seven poems from the time when the Retired Sovereign resided at the Naniwa Palace [this is Empress Kiyotarashihime]." "One imperial poem."
In this imperial poem, the Retired Empress vows never, through all the ages, to forget the tachibana tree laden with fruit. Composed at a banquet at the residence of the Minister of the Left, Tachibana no Moroe, it repeats "tachibana" three times, praising both the tree and Moroe himself, who bears the Tachibana name, and expressing lasting trust in him.
Empress Genshō was the daughter of Prince Kusakabe and a granddaughter of Emperor Tenmu. After abdicating she was held in high regard as Retired Sovereign during the reign of Emperor Shōmu.
According to the left note, the three poems from this one through 4060 are the imperial poem and the courtiers' poems from an imperial banquet at the residence of Lord Tachibana, the Minister of the Left. Yakamochi later composed 4063 and 4064 in response to this poem.

First line, "tachibana no": it begins with the tachibana tree. "Tachibana" recurs in the first, second, and last lines, so the whole poem becomes a hymn to the tree.
Second line, "too no tachibana": "too" describes branches bending under heavy fruit. Repeating the word gives the poem its rhythm.
Third line, "yatsuyo ni mo": "yatsuyo" means many ages, expressing "forever."
Fourth line, "are wa wasureji": "ji" is the auxiliary of negative intention, showing firm resolve not to forget. The poem pauses after the fourth line.
Last line, "kono tachibana o": in inverted order, it names at last what she will not forget. The tachibana tree before her and Moroe, granted the Tachibana name, are laid one upon the other.
Author: Empress Genshō
Source: Manyoshu
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