Sayo fukete akatokizuki ni kage miete naku hototogisu kikeba natsukashi

さ夜更けて暁月に影見えて
鳴く霍公鳥聞けばなつかし

Roma-ji: Sayo fukete akatokizuki ni kage miete naku hototogisu kikeba natsukashi
English Translation: As the night grows late,
in the light of the dawn moon
showing its form,
the cuckoo sings, and hearing it,
how dear it is to my heart
Meaning: Late in the night, as the dawn moon reveals its form, the cuckoo sings—and hearing it, I am filled with tender longing.
Commentary: Book Nineteen 4181

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "A poem expressing my feelings, moved that I never tire of the cuckoo, with short poems"; envoys, three poems
The first envoy to the long poem on never tiring of the cuckoo's song, it says that from late night into dawn, hearing the cuckoo sing as its shape appears in the light of the lingering moon draws the poet's heart. It takes up the long poem's "the cuckoo singing in the middle of the night" and "hearing its first song, how dear."
The bird's silhouette in the moonlight and its voice overlap in sight and sound, depicting a summer dawn with clarity.
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, "sayo fukete" (as the night deepens): "sa" is a prefix, and the line marks the passing of time into deep night.
Second line, "akatokizuki ni" (in the dawn moon): "akatokizuki" is the moon lingering in the sky before daybreak, showing the shift from night to dawn.
Third line, "kage miete" (its form appearing): "kage" here means shape or figure, showing the bird visible in the moonlight.
Fourth line, "naku hototogisu" (the singing cuckoo), presents the bird with both form and voice and links to the last line.
Fifth line, "kikeba natsukashi" (hearing it, how dear), is the same phrase as in the long poem, closing the poem in harmony with it.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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