Hototogisu naku haburi ni mo chirinikeri sakari sugurashi fujinami no hana

霍公鳥鳴く羽触れにも散りにけり
盛り過ぐらし藤波の花

Roma-ji: Hototogisu naku haburi ni mo chirinikeri sakari sugurashi fujinami no hana
English Translation: The little cuckoo—
at the brushing of its wings
they have scattered down;
their prime must be past now,
the wisteria blossoms
Meaning: Even at the brush of the cuckoo's wings as it flew singing, they scattered—the wisteria blossoms must be past their prime.
Commentary: Book Nineteen 4193

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "A poem on the cuckoo and wisteria flowers, with a short poem"
An envoy to the long poem on the cuckoo and wisteria, it says that the wisteria blossoms have scattered at the mere touch of the cuckoo's wings as it flies singing—they must be past their peak. Taking up the long poem's account of fondly stripping the wisteria scattered by the cuckoo's wingbeats into his sleeve, it voices feeling at the passing of the season.
The text carries a variant note, "one version says: since they are about to fall, I stripped them into my sleeve, the wisteria blossoms," showing the last three lines were also transmitted in that form. The main text is followed here. The left note says, "Composed on the same ninth day."
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, "hototogisu" (the cuckoo), places at the head one of the two subjects of the long poem.
Second line, "naku haburi ni mo" (even at the brush of its wings as it sings): "haburi" is the touch of wings, and "ni mo" means "even at," showing that the flowers are so weakened that the slightest touch scatters them.
Third line, "chirinikeri" (they have scattered): "keri" expresses realization, and the poem pauses here.
Fourth line, "sakari sugurashi" (their prime must be past): "rashi" is an inference based on evidence, reasoning from the falling petals that the peak has passed.
Fifth line, "fujinami no hana" (the wisteria blossoms), ends on a noun, revealing the subject of the fourth line in inverted order and closing with the long poem's other subject.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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