Kimi ga ie ni uetaru hagi no hatsuhana o orite kazasana tabi wakaru dochi

君が家に植ゑたる萩の初花を
折りてかざさな旅別るどち

Roma-ji: Kimi ga ie ni uetaru hagi no hatsuhana o orite kazasana tabi wakaru dochi
English Translation: At your house, my friend,
of the bush clover planted there
the first blossoms—
let us break them for our hair,
we who part upon our journeys
Meaning: Let us break off the first blossoms of the bush clover planted at your house and wear them in our hair, we fellow travelers who must part.
Commentary: Book Nineteen 4252

Headnote: "The Secretary Kume no Ason Hironawa, envoy with the tax-rice accounts, having completed his business, was returning to his post. By chance he met me at the residence of Ōtomo no Sukune Ikenushi, Secretary of Echizen, and so we drank and made merry together. At that time Kume no Ason Hironawa, looking at the bush clover flowers, composed a poem"
Kume no Hironawa, returning to Etchū after finishing his business in the capital, met Yakamochi, who was heading up to the capital, by chance at the residence of Ōtomo no Ikenushi in Echizen, and they enjoyed a banquet together. Let us break off the first blossoms of the bush clover planted at your house and wear them in our hair, we travelers who must part—the poem sings of the three men's reunion and parting.
The joy of three men who once exchanged poems in Etchū meeting unexpectedly in Echizen, and the loneliness of having to part again so soon, are entrusted to the first bush clover blossoms.
The poet, Kume no Hironawa, served under Yakamochi as Secretary (jō, the third-ranking provincial official, also written hangan) of Etchū, and frequently exchanged poems with him.

First line, "kimi ga ie ni" (at your house), is hypermetric; "kimi" refers to the host, Ikenushi.
Second line, "uetaru hagi no" (of the bush clover planted), refers to the bush clover in Ikenushi's garden.
Third line, "hatsuhana o" (the first blossoms), overlays the arrival of autumn with the freshness of the meeting.
Fourth line, "orite kazasana" (let us break them off and wear them): "na" expresses invitation.
Fifth line, "tabi wakaru dochi" (we who part on our journeys): "dochi" means companions.
Author: Kume no Hironawa
Source: Manyoshu
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