classic waka stream

天地と久しきまでに万代に
仕へまつらむ黒酒白酒を
Roma-ji

Ametsuchi to hisashiki made ni yorozuyo ni tsukaematsuramu kuroki shiroki o

English Translation
With heaven and earth
for as long as they endure,
for ten thousand ages
we shall serve and offer up
the black sake and the white
Meaning
For as long as heaven and earth endure, for ten thousand ages, we shall serve our sovereign, offering black sake and white.
Commentary
Book Nineteen 4275

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Six poems composed at imperial command at the banquet of the Niiname Festival on the twenty-fifth day"
The third poem at the Niiname banquet, it vows eternal service: for as long as heaven and earth, for ten thousand ages, we shall serve, offering black and white sake. Black and white sake were offered to the gods at the Niiname Festival, and the poem weaves in concrete objects of the rite.
The left note says, "The above poem: Fun'ya no Mahito Chinu, Junior Third Rank." Like the two preceding poems, it blesses the eternity of the reign with words such as heaven and earth and ten thousand ages.
The poet, Fun'ya no Chinu, was a grandson of Emperor Tenmu and son of Prince Naga; leaving the imperial family, he was granted the surname Fun'ya no Mahito. He later changed his name to Kiyomi and rose to Grand Counselor.

First line, "ametsuchi to" (with heaven and earth), is the same as the first line of 4273, showing the chain of six responses.
Second line, "hisashiki made ni" (as long as they endure).
Third line, "yorozuyo ni" (for ten thousand ages), matches the third line of the preceding poem, doubly stressing eternity.
Fourth line, "tsukaematsuramu" (we shall serve): "mu" is volitional.
Fifth line, "kuroki shiroki o" (with black and white sake), names the offerings last by inversion.
Author
Fun'ya no Chinu
Source
Manyoshu
Prev Poem
Ame ni wa mo iotsutsuna hau yorozuyo ni kuni shirasamu to iotsutsuna hau
Next Poem
Shimayama ni tereru tachibana uzu ni sashi tsukaematsuru wa maetsukimitachi