Okuyama no shikimi ga hana no na no goto ya shikushiku kimi ni koiwatarinamu

奥山のしきみが花の名のごとや
しくしく君に恋ひわたりなむ

Roma-ji: Okuyama no shikimi ga hana no na no goto ya shikushiku kimi ni koiwatarinamu
English Translation: Deep in the mountains
the star anise flower blooms;
just as its name says
shall I go on, on and on,
longing after you, my friend?
Meaning: Like the name of the shikimi flower deep in the mountains, shall I keep on longing for you again and again?
Commentary: Book Twenty Miscellaneous Poems 4476

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On the twenty-third day, a banquet at the residence of Ōtomo no Ikenushi, junior secretary of the Ministry of Ceremonial; two poems."
Like the name of the shikimi flower deep in the mountains, shall I long for you again and again? The poem layers further his affection for the host, Ikenushi. The left note attributes it to Ōhara no Imaki. Letting the sound of shikimi echo in shikushiku, it puts warmth into a play on words.
The author, Ōhara no Imaki, a member of the Ōhara clan, was at this time senior secretary of the Ministry of Military Affairs.

The first line, "okuyama no," means "of the deep mountains."
The second line, "shikimi ga hana no," "of the shikimi flower," names the star anise, an evergreen offered at Buddhist altars.
The third line, "na no goto ya," "like its name," with the interrogative ya, resolved by the attributive mu at the close. The first three lines form a preface leading to shikushiku.
The fourth line, "shikushiku kimi ni," "again and again, for you," echoes the shiki of shikimi.
The closing line, "koiwatarinamu," "shall I go on longing?" takes up "koishiku" in the preceding poem, ending by layering his longing.
Author: Ōhara no Imaki
Source: Manyoshu
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