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

Other

At no set time are such thoughts confined—yet still, on autumn nights, they reach their utmost depth, with no end to pondering.
On such a night that I would cherish so deeply— to pass it in vain, sleeping it through till morning— even such people seem distasteful.
It must be midnight— the night has grown deep, it seems; as the wild geese cry, across that sounding autumn sky the moon is seen to pass along.
When I see the moon, my thoughts scatter into grief— in countless ways; though this autumn is not mine alone, it feels so to my heart.

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.

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.