Haru no hi ni hareru yanagi o torimochite mireba miyako no ōji shi omōyu

春の日に張れる柳を取り持ちて
見れば都の大道し思ほゆ

Roma-ji: Haru no hi ni hareru yanagi o torimochite mireba miyako no ōji shi omōyu
English Translation: On a day in spring,
the willow putting out buds
I take in my hand,
and looking at it, the capital's
great avenues come to mind
Meaning: On this spring day I take a budding willow branch in my hand, and as I gaze at it, the great avenues of the capital rise in my mind.
Commentary: Book Nineteen 4142

Headnote: "A poem on the second day, longing for the capital while pulling down a willow branch"
Holding a newly budding willow branch, the poet is moved to recall the broad avenues of distant Heijō-kyō; this is a poem of longing for home. The headnote's "willow brow" is a Chinese term likening willow leaves to a woman's eyebrows, showing a Tang-inspired choice of words.
Willows are thought to have lined the great avenues of Heijō-kyō, such as Suzaku Avenue, and the poet's thoughts spread from the single branch in his hand to the rows of trees along the capital's broad streets. Spring in Etchū only deepens his longing for the capital.
The poet, Ōtomo no Yakamochi, was the son of the Grand Counselor Ōtomo no Tabito. From 746 he served as Governor of Etchū, living at the provincial headquarters in what is now Fushiki, Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture. He is regarded as the leading poet of the Nara period and is thought to have played a central role in compiling the Man'yōshū.

First line, "haru no hi ni" (on a spring day), sets the time and scene in the gentle sunlight of spring.
Second line, "hareru yanagi o" (the willow in bud): "haru" means for buds to swell, and refers to willow branches putting out new shoots.
Third line, "torimochite" (taking it in hand), corresponds to "pulling down" in the headnote and shows the act of drawing the branch near and holding it.
Fourth line, "mireba miyako no" (when I look, the capital's), is the turning point where gazing at the willow shifts directly into association with the capital.
Fifth line, "ōji shi omōyu" (its great avenues come to mind): "shi" is an emphatic particle, and "omōyu" expresses something arising spontaneously in the mind, showing that the avenues of the capital rise unbidden in his heart.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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