Kitayama ni tanabiku kumo no aokumo no hoshi sakari yuki tsuki o hanarete

北山にたなびく雲の青雲の
星離り行き月を離れて

Roma-ji: Kitayama ni tanabiku kumo no aokumo no hoshi sakari yuki tsuki o hanarete
English Translation: Over the north hills
the trailing clouds are drifting,
and the pale blue clouds
go from the stars, far away,
and leave the moon behind.
Meaning: The clouds trailing over the northern hills, those pale blue clouds, drift away from the stars and part from the moon.
Commentary: Book Two Elegies 161

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "A certain book says: two poems by the Retired Sovereign at the time of the Emperor's death"
Describing the pale clouds over the northern hills drifting away from the stars and parting from the moon, the poem suggests the spirit of Emperor Tenmu departing far away. It is known as a difficult poem, and one interpretation takes the clouds as the Emperor's spirit and the stars and moon as those left behind.
Citing a certain book, the headnote calls these two poems by the Retired Sovereign at the death of Emperor Tenmu. The first of the two, 160, has a final line that cannot be read with certainty and is therefore not treated here.
The author, Empress Jitō, was a daughter of Emperor Tenji who became the empress of Emperor Tenmu and took the throne after his death. The Retired Sovereign in the headnote refers to Jitō after her abdication.

The first line, "kitayama ni," is written in the original as "hills facing south," understood to mean the northern hills.
The second line, "tanabiku kumo no," means "of the clouds that trail across."
The third line, "aokumo no," means pale bluish or white clouds, restating the "clouds" of the second line.
The fourth line, "hoshi sakari yuki," means "moving away from the stars."
The final line, "tsuki o hanarete," means "parting from the moon," ending as if broken off and leaving lingering feeling for what departs.
Author: Empress Jito
Source: Manyoshu
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