A Nara-period nobleman and poet, son of Ōtomo no Tabito. He served as governor of Etchū and rose to Middle Counselor. He is thought to have been the principal compiler of the Man'yōshū, in which 473 of his poems appear, more than any other author; the anthology closes with his New Year poem of 759. His delicate, introspective style typifies the late Man'yō period. Posthumously implicated in a political assassination, he was later pardoned. One of the Thirty-Six Immortals.
かささぎの 渡せる橋に 置く霜の
白きを見れば 夜ぞ更けにける
Kasasagi no wataseru hashi ni oku shimo no / shiroki o mireba yo zo fuke ni keru
The bridge the magpies are said to spread across the River of Heaven — seeing the white frost settled on the palace stairs, I know the night has grown very late.
新しき 年の初めの 初春の
今日降る雪の いやしけ吉事
At the start of the new year, in the first days of spring, / like the snow falling today — good things, pile up and up.