Takitsuse ni hito no kokoro o miru koto wa mukashi ni ima mo kawarazarikeri - Shin Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

滝つ瀬に人の心を見ることは
昔に今も変はらざりけり

Roma-ji: Takitsuse ni hito no kokoro o miru koto wa mukashi ni ima mo kawarazarikeri
English Translation: In the rushing falls
to see the heart of the one
who made them flow here—
this, in olden days and now,
has not changed at all, I find.
Meaning: To see in the rushing falls the heart of the one who made them—this has not changed from the old days to the present.
Commentary: Book Eighteen Miscellaneous Poems III 1727

Headnote: "On an imperial visit while Jōtōmon-in was staying at the Kaya-in, on seeing the waterfall fed by water channeled into the garden."
This is the first of the poems on waterfalls and flowing water. To see in the rushing falls the heart of the one who made them has not changed from old times to now. According to the headnote, it was composed on an imperial visit to his mother Jōtōmon-in at the Kaya-in, on seeing the waterfall made by channeling water into the grounds. It praises the hospitality expressed in the falls.
The author, "Go-Suzaku-in," is Emperor Go-Suzaku. A son of Emperor Ichijō, his mother was Jōtōmon-in Shōshi.
The Kaya-in was the mansion of Fujiwara no Yorimichi.

The first line, "takitsuse ni," means "in the rushing falls," referring to the waterfall channeled into the garden in the headnote.
The second line, "hito no kokoro o," is the heart of the one who made the falls, that is, the host's thoughtfulness.
The third line, "miru koto wa," means "to perceive." In the force of the water and the design, he reads the host's intent.
The fourth line, "mukashi ni ima mo," means "in the past and now." It says that the custom of admiring a garden waterfall and knowing the host's heart is an old one.
In the last line, "kawarazarikeri," "keri" expresses realization. Confirming an unchanging custom, it shows his gratitude for the hospitality. The next poem also speaks of "water channeled in."
Author: Emperor Go-Suzaku
Source: Shin Kokin Wakashu
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