Fuyu no ike ni sumu nihodori no tsure mo naku soko ni kayou to hito ni shirasu na - Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

冬の池に住むにほ鳥のつれもなく
そこに通ふと人に知らすな

Roma-ji: Fuyu no ike ni sumu nihodori no tsure mo naku soko ni kayou to hito ni shirasu na
English Translation: Like the grebe that dwells
in the winter pond alone,
with no one beside,
diving to the depths, let no one know
that you come to me down there
Meaning: Like the grebe that lives in the winter pond and dives, all alone, to its depths, do not let anyone know that you secretly come to me there.
Commentary: Book Thirteen Love Poems III 662

Headnote: "Topic unknown."
As the grebe in a winter pond dives alone to the bottom, the poet asks that no one be told of the secret visits made there with an unconcerned face. With soko punning on "bottom" and "there," and tsure mo naku meaning both "without companion" and "indifferent," it asks the beloved to guard the secret of a hidden love.
The author, recorded as Mitsune, is Oshikochi no Mitsune. He served in provincial posts such as Junior Clerk of Kai and Provisional Secretary of Awaji, was one of the compilers of the Kokinshu, and is counted among the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals.

The first line, "fuyu no ike ni," has six syllables, one extra, presenting the bleak scene of a winter pond.
The second line, "sumu nihodori no," means "the grebe that dwells there," a bird sung as a diver.
The third line, "tsure mo naku," means both "without companion" and "indifferent." Up to here the lines form a preface leading to soko.
The fourth line, "soko ni kayou to," uses soko as a pivot word for "the bottom" and "there," overlaying the bird diving to the bottom with the lover's visits.
The final line, "hito ni shirasu na," means "let no one know," closing with the prohibitive na.
Author: Oshikochi no Mitsune
Source: Kokin Wakashu
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