Hashikiyoshi kyō no aroji wa isomatsu no tsune ni imasane ima mo miru goto

はしきよし今日の主人は磯松の
常にいまさね今も見るごと

Roma-ji: Hashikiyoshi kyō no aroji wa isomatsu no tsune ni imasane ima mo miru goto
English Translation: Oh, how dear you are,
our host on this happy day;
like the pine by the shore
may you ever stay the same
just as now we see you here
Meaning: Dear host of today, may you remain as unchanging as the pine by the shore, just as we see you now.
Commentary: Book Twenty Miscellaneous Poems 4498

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "In the second month, a banquet at the residence of Nakatomi no Kiyomaro, Senior Assistant Minister of Ceremonial; fifteen poems."
Dear host of today, may you stay as unchanging as the pine by the shore, just as we see you now: a poem blessing the host Kiyomaro's long life. The left note attributes it to Ōtomo no Yakamochi, Middle Controller of the Right. After the playful exchange of the two preceding poems, a poem of blessing restores order to the gathering. Drawing on the pine growing on the rocky edge of the garden pond, it wishes for unchanging long life.
The author, Ōtomo no Yakamochi, son of Ōtomo no Tabito, was at this time Middle Controller of the Right.

The first line, "hashikiyoshi," "ah, how dear," is an affectionate call.
The second line, "kyō no aroji wa," refers to Kiyomaro, the host of the banquet.
The third line, "isomatsu no," "of the pine by the rocky shore," is a figure leading to "ever."
The fourth line, "tsune ni imasane," uses ne, a request: please remain always as you are. The poem pauses here.
The closing line, "ima mo miru goto," "as we see you now," adds by inversion the wish that he stay unchanged.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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