Tsuki mireba kuni wa oyaji zo yama henari utsukushi imo wa henaritaru kamo

月見れば国は同じぞ山へなり
愛し妹はへなりたるかも

Roma-ji: Tsuki mireba kuni wa oyaji zo yama henari utsukushi imo wa henaritaru kamo
English Translation: When I gaze at the moon,
the land we share is the same;
yet the mountains part us,
and the girl I hold so dear
is set far away from me
Meaning: When I look at the moon, the land we share is the same; yet mountains lie between us, and my dear one is kept far away.
Commentary: Book Eleven Love Poems Ancient and Modern I 2420

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Feelings through Things"
Gazing at the same moon, the speaker feels they share one land, yet mountains stand between them and his beloved is far away. The poem traces the movement of a heart that feels connected to the beloved through the moon, only to be reminded of the real distance of the mountains.
This poem speaks through the moon. "Henari" in the third line is the same word as "henareru yama" in the next poem but one, 2422, so poems on being parted by mountains follow one another. After the preceding poem, 2419, which speaks through the vastness of heaven and earth, this one speaks through the moon in the sky.
The author is unknown; according to the left note, the poem comes from the Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection. That collection is thought to contain both Hitomaro's own poems and poems by others that he recorded. Kakinomoto no Hitomaro was a court poet active in the reigns of Empress Jito and Emperor Monmu, and is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.

First line, "tsuki mireba": "when I look at the moon." "Ba" expresses a settled condition, calling to mind that both are looking at the same moon.
Second line, "kuni wa oyaji zo": "the land is the same." The binding particle "zo" makes a firm assertion, and the poem pauses here.
Third line, "yama henari": "the mountains part us." "Henaru" is a verb meaning to be separated or to separate. It is the same word as "henareru" in poem 2422.
Fourth line, "utsukushi imo wa": "my dear girl." "Utsukushi" is an adjective meaning dear or lovely.
Fifth line, "henaritaru kamo": "how far apart she is." Repeating "henari" from the third line drives home the separation, and the final particle "kamo" expresses lament.
Author: Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection
Source: Manyoshu
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