not a rare voice
and yet the cuckoo’s calling—
through these many years
never does it weary me
still it leaves me unsated

Meaning

Though it is not a rare voice, the cuckoo’s call never wearies me; even through many years, I never tire of it.

Commentary

Book Seven Felicitations

A summer poem among those written on a screen painted with scenes of the four seasons, at the fortieth-year celebration banquet of Fujiwara no Sadakuni, composed by the Naishi-no-Kami.

The poem is based on a depiction of a cuckoo in the summer scene of the screen. Though its voice is not especially rare, the poet finds that even after many years, it never grows tiresome, much like the enduring pleasure of viewing cherry blossoms.
“Kokora no toshi” means many years.

Author

Ki no Tomonori

Source

Kokin Wakashu

Other

on Kasuga plain while gathering the young herbs— for ten thousand years the heart that offers up such prayer the gods must surely know it
the mountain is high so in the clouds they appear— the cherry blossoms never a day does my heart not go there and long to pluck

not a rare voice and yet the cuckoo’s calling— through these many years never does it weary me still it leaves me unsated

not a rare voice
and yet the cuckoo’s calling—
through these many years
never does it weary me
still it leaves me unsated