Mononofu no yaso otomera ga kumimagau terai no ue no katakago no hana

もののふの八十娘子らが汲み乱ふ
寺井の上の堅香子の花

Roma-ji: Mononofu no yaso otomera ga kumimagau terai no ue no katakago no hana
English Translation: Like courtiers' clans, many,
the crowd of maidens
jostling to draw water—
by the temple well, above,
the katakago in bloom
Meaning: By the temple well, where a crowd of young women jostle as they draw water, the dogtooth violets are in bloom.
Commentary: Book Nineteen 4143

Headnote: "A poem on plucking the flowers of the katakago plant"
The poem depicts katakago (dogtooth violet) blooming quietly beside a temple well where many young women gather to draw water in lively confusion. The bright bustle of the maidens and the delicate purple flowers nodding downward overlap, filling the scene with the brightness of spring.
This is the only poem in the Man'yōshū about katakago, and it is prized as a record of springtime in Etchū. In Fushiki, Takaoka, a poem stone and sites associated with this poem have been handed down.
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, "mononofu no" (of the courtiers), is a pillow word modifying "yaso" (eighty, many), from the many clans of officials who served the court.
Second line, "yaso otomera ga" (the many maidens): "yaso" means a great number, conveying the brightness of a crowd of young women.
Third line, "kumimagau" (drawing water in a jostle), depicts them drawing water in a happy confusion of movement.
Fourth line, "terai no ue no" (beside the temple well), refers to the edge of a well in a temple precinct; "ue" here means beside or around.
Fifth line, "katakago no hana" (the dogtooth violet flowers), ends on a noun, turning from the bustle of people to gather the gaze on the flowers blooming at their feet.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Haru no hi ni hareru yanagi o torimochite mireba miyako no ōji shi omōyu
Next Poem: Tsubame kuru toki ni narinu to karigane wa kuni shinoitsutsu kumogakuri naku