Iwa ga ne no kogoshiki yama ni irisomete yama natsukashimi idekatenu kamo

岩が根のこごしき山に入りそめて
山なつかしみ出でかてぬかも

Roma-ji: Iwa ga ne no kogoshiki yama ni irisomete yama natsukashimi idekatenu kamo
English Translation: Among rooted rocks
on a rugged mountainside
I first set my foot,
and so dear the mountain grew
I cannot find my way out
Meaning: Having first stepped into the mountain rugged with deep-rooted rocks, I have grown so fond of it that I cannot bring myself to leave.
Commentary: Book Seven Allegorical Poems 1332

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Mountains"
Having entered the rugged, rocky mountain, the poet has grown so attached to it that he cannot leave. The mountain stands for the beloved and entering it for stepping into love; the poem shows how, once his heart turned to one who had seemed hard to approach, he can no longer part from her.
It is the second poem on mountains. The fourth line, "so dear the mountain grew," corresponds to "the mountain is dear" in the fourth line of the next poem, both poems singing of a heart drawn to the mountain. The poet is unknown.

The first line, "Among rooted rocks," refers to great rocks set as if rooted in the earth.
The second line, "on a rugged mountainside," like "awesome peak" in the preceding poem, figures one hard to approach.
The third line, "I first set my foot," figures stepping into love.
In the fourth line, "so dear the mountain grew," "mi" gives the cause; it corresponds to the fourth line of the next poem.
The final line, "I cannot find my way out," uses "kate" for ability and "kamo" for exclamation.
Source: Manyoshu
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