Fufumerishi hana no hajime ni koshi ware ya chirinamu nochi ni miyako e yukamu

ふふめりし花の初めに来し我れや
散りなむ後に都へ行かむ

Roma-ji: Fufumerishi hana no hajime ni koshi ware ya chirinamu nochi ni miyako e yukamu
English Translation: When the buds were closed
at the first sign of flowers
I came to this place;
after they have fallen, then
shall I go back to the capital?
Meaning: I came here when the blossoms were still in bud, just beginning; will it be after they have all fallen that I return to the capital?
Commentary: Book Twenty Miscellaneous Poems 4435

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On the third day of the third month, the imperial envoys inspecting the frontier guards and the officials of the Ministry of Military Affairs gathered for a banquet and composed poems; three poems."
I came when the blossoms were in bud; will I return to the capital only after they have fallen? The poem laments the long stay at Naniwa. The left note attributes it to Ōtomo no Yakamochi, Junior Assistant Minister and envoy of the Ministry of Military Affairs. Into the passing season from first bloom to fall, he puts both the length of his duty and his longing for the capital. Earlier he had wondered whether the cherries of Mount Tatsuta would have fallen by his return, and the same feeling continues here.
The author, Ōtomo no Yakamochi, son of Ōtomo no Tabito, was at this time Junior Assistant Minister of Military Affairs.

The first line, "fufumerishi," "that were still in bud," marks the time of buds.
The second line, "hana no hajime ni," means "at the beginning of the blossoms."
The third line, "koshi ware ya," uses the interrogative ya, resolved by the attributive mu at the close, naming himself who came to Naniwa.
The fourth line, "chirinamu nochi ni," "after they have fallen," pairs with the second line's "beginning of the blossoms."
The closing line, "miyako e yukamu," "shall I go to the capital?" takes up "the capital" of the two preceding poems and closes the three banquet poems.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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