Suberagi no kodakaki kage ni kakurete mo nao harusame ni nuren to zo omou - Shin Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

すべらぎの木高き陰に隠れても
なほ春雨に濡れんとぞ思ふ

Roma-ji: Suberagi no kodakaki kage ni kakurete mo nao harusame ni nuren to zo omou
English Translation: Though I take shelter
in the shade of those tall trees,
my sovereign's shade,
yet I wish all the more to be
wetted by the rain of spring.
Meaning: Though I shelter in the shade of my sovereign's lofty trees, I still wish to be wetted by the spring rain of his grace.
Commentary: Book Sixteen Miscellaneous Poems I 1479

Headnote: "Composed for Retired Emperor Sutoku on the topic 'Spring Rain Beneath the Trees.'"
This is the seventh poem of the sequence on the things of late spring. Though sheltered in the shade of the sovereign's tall trees, the poet still wishes to be wetted by the spring rain of his grace. According to the headnote, it was composed in the presence of Retired Emperor Sutoku on the topic "Spring Rain Beneath the Trees."
The author, "the Hachijō Former Chancellor," is Fujiwara no Saneyuki. The son of Provisional Major Counselor Fujiwara no Kinzane, he rose to Grand Minister.
"Spring Rain Beneath the Trees" is a topic on spring rain falling beneath a grove.

In the first line, "suberagi no," "suberagi" means the sovereign, here referring to Retired Emperor Sutoku.
The second line, "kodakaki kage ni," refers to the shade of tall trees, taking up "beneath the trees" of the topic. It likens the sovereign's protection to the shade of a great tree.
The third line, "kakurete mo," means "even while sheltered in that shade."
The fourth line, "nao harusame ni," takes up the spring rain of the topic and likens the sovereign's grace to it. Like "haru no ame no amaneki miyo" in the preceding poem, it sings of spring rain as the sovereign's grace.
The last line, "nuren to zo omou," closes the kakari-musubi of the particle "zo" with the attributive form "omou." It states the wish to receive grace directly, beyond mere protection.
Author: Fujiwara no Saneyuki
Source: Shin Kokin Wakashu
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