Down there in the pond,
Reflecting is the shadow
Of Mt. Asaka.
Our homage isn’t so shallow,
Nor so thin as those old fronds…
(Vol.16-3807)

“Our homage”? – To who? To Mt. Asaka? Not so. Mt. Asaka is described as an object or a tool by which the writer of this poem wanted to stress that his (or her) homage to somebody is not so shallow as the shadow of the mountain reflecting in the pond at the foot of it.　According to a theory of a Man-Yoh-Shuh scholar, the object of the homage is said to be the high-ranking officer from the central government (Capital Yamato) and the writer (the wife of the local officer working under him) wanted to divert and mollify the boss’ grudge toward the husband and to suggest in a roundabout way that she and her husband remain loyal to the boss. The writer’s name is unknown here.

Another interesting episode about this poem – Wooden Tablets were widely used as an alternative to paper for the purpose of writing and recording words and phrases including poems as from 8th century, and one of them dug out from historical ruins in Shiga Pref. in the year 2008 is said to carry this poem written in ink (only partial remains are visible).
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