白雲の羽うちかはし飛ぶ雁の
かずさへ見ゆる秋の夜の月
かずさへ見ゆる秋の夜の月
- Roma-ji
-
Shirakumo no hane uchikawashi tobu kari no
kazu sae miyuru aki no yo no tsuki - English Translation
-
White clouds drift on—
with beating wings they cross and fly,
the passing wild geese;
even their number is seen
in the moon of an autumn night.
- Meaning
- On an autumn night, the moon shines so brightly that even the number of wild geese flying with beating wings across the white clouds can be clearly seen.
- Commentary
-
Book Four Autumn Poems (Part One)
The poem depicts the scene of a bright autumn night under the moon.
In some versions, the phrase appears as “even their shadows can be seen,” which would emphasize the brightness of the moon even more, suggesting that the shadows of flying geese fall upon the ground—an exaggerated image.
The reading “even their number can be seen,” however, presents the beauty of the scene in a more simple and direct way.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Kokin Wakashu
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