Kumo harenu Asama no yama no asamashi ya hito no kokoro o mite koso yamame - Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

雲晴れぬ浅間の山のあさましや
人の心を見てこそやまめ

Roma-ji: Kumo harenu Asama no yama no asamashi ya hito no kokoro o mite koso yamame
English Translation: Like Mount Asama,
with clouds that never clear,
how appalling it is—
only when I've seen your heart
will I bring this to a close
Meaning: Like Mount Asama, forever wrapped in cloud, you leave me aghast. Only once I have seen into your heart will I give this love up.
Commentary: Book Nineteen Miscellaneous Forms 1050

Headnote: "Topic unknown"
Leading from "Asama no yama" to the homophone "asamashi," appalling, the poet expresses dismay at a lover whose heart is as hidden as cloud-covered Mount Asama. The wordplay that lets "yamame," I will stop, echo "yama," mountain, gives the poem its haikai quality.
The author, "Nakaki," is Taira no Nakaki. The son of Taira no Suenaga, he served as governor of Ōmi, among other posts.

First line, "Kumo harenu," means the summit hidden in cloud, hinting that the beloved's heart cannot be seen.
Second line, "Asama no yama no," is Mount Asama in Shinano. The first two lines form a preface leading to the homophone "asamashi."
Third line, "asamashi ya," means how appalling. The poem breaks here.
Fourth line, "hito no kokoro o," means your true heart.
Fifth line, "mite koso yamame," pairs "koso" with the perfective "me," and lets "yamame," I will stop, echo "yama" in the second line.
Author: Taira no Nakaki
Source: Kokin Wakashu
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