Aburahi no hikari ni miyuru waga kazura sayuri no hana no emawashiki kamo

油火の光りに見ゆる吾がかづら
さ百合の花の笑まはしきかも

Roma-ji: Aburahi no hikari ni miyuru waga kazura sayuri no hana no emawashiki kamo
English Translation: Seen in the soft glow
of the lamp's oil-burning light,
my own hair-garland—
how the lilies' flowers there
make my heart want to smile!
Meaning: In the glow of the oil lamp I see the garland in my hair—how charming the lily blossoms are!
Commentary: Book Eighteen 4086

Headnote: "On the ninth of the same month, the officials gathered for a banquet at the residence of the junior clerk Hata no Imiki Iwatake. The host made three garlands of lilies, piled them on a stemmed dish, and presented them to the guests. Each composed a poem on the garland; three poems."
The poet exclaims how charming the lilies of his garland look, seen in the light of the lamp. Responding to the host, Hata no Iwatake, who presented his guests with garlands of lilies, he praises the beauty of the lilies glowing in the lamplight of the night banquet and thanks his host for his hospitality.
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.
This poem comes from a banquet held on the ninth of the fifth month of 749 at the residence of the junior clerk Hata no Iwatake. The next poem, 4087, shares the line "hikari ni miyuru," and three poems on the lily garlands stand side by side.

First line, "aburahi no": a lamp burning oil, showing that the banquet is at night.
Second line, "hikari ni miyuru": "seen in the light." The same line appears second in the next poem, making the two a pair.
Third line, "waga kazura": his own hair garland, given by the host.
Fourth line, "sayuri no hana no": "sa" is a prefix; it means lily blossoms, corresponding to the "garlands of lilies" in the headnote.
Last line, "emawashiki kamo": "emawashi" means charming, making one smile, and "kamo" is exclamatory. It also suggests that the lilies themselves are smiling.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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