In the classical literature "The Tales of Ise", there is a waka poem by the poet Kanehira Ariwara that includes the name of a plant, "kakitsubata".
JPN:
唐衣 着つつなれにし つましあれば はるばるきぬる 旅をしぞ思ふ
"Kara koromo ki tsutsu nare nishi tsuma shi areba harubaru ki nuru tabi o shizo omou"
"ka ki tsu ba ta" ( Water iris)
ENG:
I have come all the way here,
leaving my wife,
who has been with me for so many years
like a familiar garment,
behind in the capital.
As I continue my journey,
I feel a deep sense of loneliness.
Kenko Yoshida, the author of "Tsurezuregusa", sent the poem to his friend, the Buddhist monk Tonna
JPN:
夜も涼し 寝覚めの仮庵手枕も 真袖も秋に 隔てなき風
"Yo mo suzushi nezame no kariho tamakura mo masode mo aki ni hedate naki kaze"
First word "Yone tamae", Read the last word backwards "Zeni mo hoshi"
ENG:
The nights had become quite cool.
However, living in a shabby temporary home,
sleeping with one's hands as a pillow
and the sleeves of my nightwear as a blanket,
one could hardly survive the chill of the autumn wind.
"Yone tamae" Yone →Rice（foods)
Can you give me some rice?
"Zeni mo hoshi" Zeni →Money
I also want some money.
He received from Tonna the following poem.
JPN:
夜も憂し 妬たく我が背子 果ては来ず なほざりにだに 暫し訪ひませ
"Yoru mo ushi netaku waga seko hate ha kozu naozarinidani shibashi toimase"
First word "Yone ha na shi", Read the last word backwards "Zeni suko shi"
ENG:
It seems that you waited all night,
but your beloved never showed up.
I'm sorry to say this,
but perhaps you should think
about the reason for this
"Yone wa na shi" Yone →Rice（foods)
I don't have any rice.
"Zeni suko shi" Zeni →Money
I have a little money.
Like this, there has been a long tradition of various poets creating waka poems with a playful spirit.
あ行 A gyō
［WAKA］
JPN: あ(a),い(i),う(u),え(e),お(o)
岩清水 映し揺れたる 枝咲きの 雄花を染める 朝焼けの空
いわしみず うつしゆれたる えださきの おばなをそめる あさやけのそら
Iwa shimizu utsushi yuretaru edasaki no obana o someru asayake no sora
ENG: The male flowers
on the branches are dyed
in the dawn sky and sway
in the rocky river.
か行 Ka gyō
［WAKA］
JPN: か(ka),き(ki),く(ku),け(ke)こ(ko)
消え去りぬ 今日惜しむらし 雁の鳴に 心染めぬる 紅の空
きえさりぬ きょうおしむらし かりのねに こころそめぬる くれないのそら
Kie sarinu kyō oshimurasi kari no neni kokoro somenuru kurenai no sora
ENG:My heart is dyed
the color of the crimson sky.
The cries of the widl geese make me feel sad,
as if they are regretting the day fading away.
さ行 Sa gyō
［WAKA］
JPN: さ(sa),し(shi),す(su),せ(se),そ(su)
菫咲く 清水の川の せせらぎは 去りぬる春の そそぐ風なり
すみれさく しみずのかわの せせらぎは さりぬるはるの そそぐかぜなり
Sumire saku shimizu no kawa no seseragi wa sarinuru haru no sosogu
kaze nari
ENG:The murmuring of the clear water river
where violets bloom
is like the wind of the spring
that is about to pass away.
た行 Ta gyō
［WAKA］
JPN: た(ta),ち(chi),つ(tsu),て(te),と(to)
寺の音 千入の空に 佇みて 時の過ぎるを ついぞ忘れむ
てらのおと ちしおのそら あおぎみて ときのすぎるを ついぞわすれむ
Te a ooto chisio no sora ni tatazumite toki no sugiru o tsuizo wasuren
Eng:As I listend to the sound of the temple belland
gaze at the bright red sunset sky,
I accidentally forgot
how time passed.
な行 Na gyō
［WAKA］
jpn: な(na),に(ni),ぬ(nu),ね(ne),の(no)
西日さす 音なき山野を 眺めつつ 主なき宿に 野花咲くなり
にしびさす ねなきさんのを ながめつつ ぬしなきやどに のばなさくなり
Nishibi sasu ne naki sanno o nagame tsutsu nusi naki yado ni nobana
saku nari
ENG:As I gaze upon
the silent fields and mountain lit
by the setting sun,
wild flowers bloom in an deserted hut.
は行 Ha gyō
［WAKA］
JPN:は(ha),ひ(hi),ふ(fu),へ(he),ほ(ho)
冷え果てぬ 細き枝より 隔て見ゆ はるかに光る 冬空の月
ひえはてぬ おそきえだより へただみゆ はるかにひかる ふゆぞらのつき
Hie hate nu hosoki eda yori hedate miyu haruka ni hikaru huyuzora no
tsuki
ENG:In the cold midwinter sky,
the clear moon can be seen through
the thin branches
of a withered tree.
ま行 Ma gyō
［WAKA］
JPN:ま(ma),み(mi),む(mu),め(me),も(mo)
もし死なば めぐり逢わむと 待つ空の 昔の人も 見まきける月
もししなば めぐりあはむと まつそらの むかしのひとも みまきけるつき
Moshi shinaba meguri awanto matsu sora no mukashi no hito mo mimaki
keru tsuki
ENG:
Ma: If I die,
Iwill meet my deceased friend
just like meeting the nostalgic moon
in the night sky
や行 Ya gyō
［WAKA］
JPN: や(ya),い(i),ゆ(yu),え(e),よ(yo)
山辺の 井水湧き出で 澱む葉の 江に沈みゆる 雪どけの朝
やまのべの いみずわきいで よとむはの えにしずみゆる ゆきどけのあさ
Yananobe no imizu wakiide yodomu ha no eni shizumi yuru yukidoke no
asa
ENG:On a snow-melting morning,
water from a mountain well springs forth
and stagnant fallen leaves sink
into the river.
ら行 Ra gyō
［WAKAK］
JPN: ら(ra),り(ri),る(ru),れ(re),ろ(ro)
来春に 路氷も消えて 黎明の 流水となる 瑠璃の湖
らいしゅんに ろひょうもきえて れいめいの りゅうすいとなる るりいろのうみ
Raishun ni rohyō mo kiete reimei no ryūsui to naru ruriiro no umi
Eng:Next spring,
the ice on the road
will become the flowing water
of dawn and disappear.
The lapis lazuli color lake.