Harugasumi tanabikiwataru ori ni koso kakaru yamabe no kai mo arikere - Shin Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

春霞たなびきわたる折にこそ
かかる山辺のかひもありけれ

Roma-ji: Harugasumi tanabikiwataru ori ni koso kakaru yamabe no kai mo arikere
English Translation: It is when spring haze
comes trailing across the hills
that such a mountain
hollow as this one also
finds its worth in being here.
Meaning: It is just when the spring haze trails all across the hills that even a mountain hollow like this one finds its worth.
Commentary: Book Sixteen Miscellaneous Poems I 1447

Headnote: "Sent to Yugei no Myōbu on hearing that Retired Emperor En'yū often visited Higashi Sanjō-in when she was his consort."
This is the first poem of the sequence on the spring haze. It is just when the spring haze trails across the hills, the poet says, that even such a mountain hollow finds its worth. According to the headnote, it was sent to Yugei no Myōbu on hearing that Emperor En'yū often visited the poet's daughter Senshi while she was his consort.
The author, "the Higashi Sanjō Lay Priest, Former Regent and Chancellor," is Fujiwara no Kaneie. The son of Fujiwara no Morosuke, he became Regent on the accession of Emperor Ichijō, born to his daughter Senshi, later also held the office of Chancellor, and took the tonsure.
"Higashi Sanjō-in" in the headnote is Kaneie's daughter Senshi, who became consort to Emperor En'yū and bore Emperor Ichijō. She later received an honorary title and was called Higashi Sanjō-in. Yugei no Myōbu was a lady-in-waiting at court.
The retired emperor's reply to this poem is placed as the next poem.

The first line, "harugasumi," likens the emperor's visits to the spring haze.
The second line, "tanabikiwataru," describes haze lying long across the whole landscape. It overlays the emperor's frequent visits.
In the third line, "ori ni koso," "koso" is a binding particle, closed by "kere" in the last line.
The fourth line, "kakaru yamabe no," means "of such a mountainside," humbly likening Senshi's residence to a mountainside.
The last line, "kai mo arikere," closes the kakari-musubi of the particle "koso" with the perfective form "kere." "Kai" plays on "kai," a narrow valley between mountains, and "kai," worth, rejoicing that the dwelling finds its worth only because of the emperor's visits.
Author: Fujiwara no Kaneie
Source: Shin Kokin Wakashu
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