Kiri tachite teru hi no moto wa miezu tomo mi wa madowareji yorube ari ya to - Shin Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

霧立ちて照る日の本は見えずとも
身はまどはれじ寄るべありやと

Roma-ji: Kiri tachite teru hi no moto wa miezu tomo mi wa madowareji yorube ari ya to
English Translation: Though mist rises up
and the land of the shining sun
is hidden from view,
I shall not lose my way, for
surely there is a place to turn.
Meaning: Though the mist rises and hides the land beneath the shining sun, I shall not lose my way, thinking there may yet be a place for me to turn to.
Commentary: Book Eighteen Miscellaneous Poems III 1694

Headnote: "Mist."
A poem on the topic of mist, this is the fifth of Sugawara no Michizane's twelve poems on one-character topics. Even if mist hides the land beneath the shining sun, he will not lose his way so long as there may be a place to turn to. It is read as expressing a resolve not to lose hope even when cut off.
The author, "Kan Zō Daijō Daijin," is Sugawara no Michizane. No author is named in the original; the attribution continues from the preceding poem. The son of Sugawara no Koreyoshi and renowned as a scholar and poet in Chinese, he rose to Minister of the Right but under Emperor Daigo was demoted to Provisional Governor-General of Dazaifu and died in exile. Because he was posthumously granted the office of Chancellor, he is referred to by this title.

The first line, "kiri tachite," means "as the mist rises." The mist of the topic is set down as something that blocks the view.
The second line, "teru hi no moto wa," means "the land beneath the shining sun." It names the place the sun lights, set here as a phrase that calls to mind the distant capital.
In the third line, "miezu tomo," "tomo" is a concessive conditional particle. It supposes "even if it cannot be seen" and carries on to what follows.
In the fourth line, "mi wa madowareji," "ji" is an auxiliary of negative intention. It declares that he will not lose his way even in the mist, and the poem pauses here.
The last line, "yorube ari ya to," is inverted, adding afterward the reason for his resolve. "Ya" is a particle of question, framing the thought that there may be a place to turn to.
Author: Sugawara no Michizane
Source: Shin Kokin Wakashu
Prev Poem: Yama wakare tobiyuku kumo no kaerikuru kage miru toki wa nao tanomarenu
Next Poem: Hana to chiri tama to mietsutsu azamukeba yuki furusato zo yume ni miekeru