Ogurayama mine tachinarashi naku shika no enikemu aki o shiru hito zo naki - Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

小倉山峰たちならし鳴く鹿の
経にけむ秋を知る人ぞなき

Roma-ji: Ogurayama mine tachinarashi naku shika no enikemu aki o shiru hito zo naki
English Translation: On Mount Ogura
treading the peaks smooth, the deer
cries out in longing—
how many autumns it has passed
there is no one who can know.
Meaning: The deer that cries on Mount Ogura, treading its peaks smooth with its wanderings—how many autumns it has lived through, no one knows.
Commentary: Book Ten Names of Things 439

Headnote: "Composed at the Maiden Flower Contest at the Suzaku-in, placing the five syllables of 'ominaeshi' at the head of each line"
This poem says that no one knows how many autumns the deer has passed, the deer that cries as it roams and treads smooth the peaks of Mount Ogura. It uses the acrostic technique called oriku, placing "o," "mi," "na," "e," and "shi" one by one at the head of each line to spell "ominaeshi." Whereas the two preceding poems hid the title within the verse, this one sets it at the heads of the lines, closing the maiden flower sequence. The Maiden Flower Contest at the Suzaku-in named in the headnote was a poetry contest held by the retired Emperor Uda in the first year of Shōtai, and the poem was composed on that occasion.
The poet, "Tsurayuki," is Ki no Tsurayuki. A son of Ki no Mochiyuki, he was the leading compiler of the Kokinshu and wrote its Kana Preface. He is also known as the author of the Tosa Diary.

First line "Ogurayama" is a mountain in Saga, Kyoto, and its initial "o" is the first syllable of the acrostic.
Second line "mine tachinarashi" means "treading the peaks smooth by coming and going," and its initial "mi" is the second syllable.
Third line "naku shika no" refers to the autumn deer crying for its mate, and its initial "na" is the third syllable.
Fourth line "enikemu aki o" means "the many autumns it must have passed," with "kemu" expressing conjecture about the past. Its initial "e" (written "he") is the fourth syllable.
Fifth line "shiru hito zo naki" closes in the attributive "naki" in answer to "zo," declaring that no one knows. With its initial "shi," the five syllables of "ominaeshi" are complete.
Author: Ki no Tsurayuki
Source: Kokin Wakashu
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