Aki hatsuru Hatsuka no yama no sabishiki ni ariake no tsuki o tare to miruran - Shin Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

秋果つるはつかの山の寂しきに
有明の月を誰と見るらん

Roma-ji: Aki hatsuru Hatsuka no yama no sabishiki ni ariake no tsuki o tare to miruran
English Translation: At Hatsuka's hills,
lonely as the autumn ends,
the twentieth-night moon
lingering on until the dawn—
with whom do you watch it now?
Meaning: In the loneliness of the hills of Hatsuka as autumn ends, with whom, I wonder, are you watching the moon that lingers at dawn?
Commentary: Book Sixteen Miscellaneous Poems I 1571

Headnote: "Sent to Yoritsuna Ason when he was at a place called Hatsuka in the province of Tsu."
This is the twelfth poem of the sequence expressing personal feelings through the things of autumn. Thinking of a distant friend, the poet wonders with whom he watches the dawn moon in the loneliness of the Hatsuka hills as autumn ends. According to the headnote, it was sent to Minamoto no Yoritsuna while he was at a place called Hatsuka in the province of Settsu.
The author, "Former Middle Counselor Masafusa," was the son of Ōe no Narihira. Known as a scholar, he rose to Provisional Middle Counselor and Provisional Governor-General of Dazaifu.
"Yoritsuna Ason" in the headnote is Minamoto no Yoritsuna. Hatsuka is a place name in Settsu.

The first line, "aki hatsuru," means "as autumn ends." It shows the loneliness of late autumn.
In the second line, "Hatsuka no yama no," "hatsuka" plays on the place name Hatsuka and "hatsuka," the twentieth day. It leads to the dawn moon seen after the twentieth of the month.
The third line, "sabishiki ni," means "in the loneliness."
The fourth line, "ariake no tsuki o," is hypermetric and refers to the moon remaining at dawn. The moon after the twentieth rises late at night and remains until dawn.
The last line, "tare to miruran," uses the present conjectural "ran," meaning "with whom are you watching it?" Thinking of a friend in a lonely place, it moves from the lament of old age in the preceding poem to the heart that thinks of a distant friend in late autumn.
Author: Oe no Masafusa
Source: Shin Kokin Wakashu
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