Masurao wa na o shi tatsubeshi nochi no yo ni kikitsugu hito mo kataritsugu gane

大夫は名をし立つべし後の世に
聞き継ぐ人も語り継ぐがね

Roma-ji: Masurao wa na o shi tatsubeshi nochi no yo ni kikitsugu hito mo kataritsugu gane
English Translation: A true man must
without fail make his name known,
so that in ages to come
those who hear of it as well
may tell it on and on
Meaning: A true man must make his name, so that those who hear of it in ages to come may tell it on in turn.
Commentary: Book Nineteen 4165

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "A poem yearning to make a warrior's name renowned, with a short poem"
An envoy to the long poem yearning to make a warrior's name renowned, it declares that a true man must make his name, so that people of later ages will hear of it and pass it on. It shows the pride of a member of the illustrious military clan of Ōtomo and a strong resolve to pass the family name down to posterity.
The left note says, "The above two poems were composed in response to a poem by Yamanoue no Okura," and the poem answers Okura's "Should a man end his life in vain, without making a name to be told for ten thousand ages?" (Book Six, 978), said to have been composed on his deathbed. Yakamochi turns Okura's lament into a resolve to make his name.
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, "masurao wa" (a true man), presents the theme and takes up the long poem's "should a true man live in vain?"
Second line, "na o shi tatsubeshi" (must make his name): "shi" is emphatic and "beshi" expresses obligation, firmly stating that one must make a name; the poem pauses here.
Third line, "nochi no yo ni" (in ages to come), shows the distant future to which the name should be passed down.
Fourth line, "kikitsugu hito mo" (those who hear of it), points to the people of later ages who will hear and pass on the name.
Fifth line, "kataritsugu gane" (so that they may tell it on): "gane" expresses purpose or hope, closing with the wish that the fame be told from generation to generation.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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