Nadeshiko ga hana miru goto ni otomera ga emai no nioi omohoyuru kamo

なでしこが花見るごとに娘子らが
笑まひのにほひ思ほゆるかも

Roma-ji: Nadeshiko ga hana miru goto ni otomera ga emai no nioi omohoyuru kamo
English Translation: Each time that I see
the blossoms of the wild pink,
the bright, glowing hue
of a maiden's smiling face
comes into my mind.
Meaning: Whenever I look at the pinks in bloom, the radiant beauty of a young woman's smile comes to my mind.
Commentary: Book Eighteen 4114

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "A poem on the flowers in the garden [with short poems]." "Two envoys."
The poet says that whenever he sees the pinks in bloom, he is reminded of the radiance of a maiden's smile. It is an envoy to a long poem telling how, five years after coming down to Etchū, he consoles the loneliness of sleeping alone with the pinks and lilies planted in his garden, and in the flowers he sees the face of the wife he left in the capital.
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, the long poem and its envoys were composed on the twenty-sixth of the intercalary fifth month. In the long poem the pink is called his "flower wife," and his feelings for his wife are entrusted to the flower.

First line, "nadeshiko ga": taking up the pinks of the garden sung in the long poem. After the tachibana of the preceding poem, the pink appears here as a garden flower.
Second line, "hana miru goto ni": "whenever I see the flowers," showing that the memory returns again and again.
Third line, "otomera ga": "ra" is a suffix expressing affection for the maiden. He seems to picture the wife he left in the capital.
Fourth line, "emai no nioi": "emai" means a smile and "nioi" a glowing beauty. The color of the pink and the maiden's smile are overlaid.
Last line, "omohoyuru kamo": "omohoyu" means "comes to mind of itself," and "kamo" is exclamatory. Together with the next poem, 4115, it divides between the pink and the lily, the two flowers of the long poem.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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