Tachiyama ni furiokeru yuki o tokonatsu ni miredomo akazu kamukara narashi

立山に降り置ける雪を常夏に
見れども飽かず神からならし

Roma-ji: Tachiyama ni furiokeru yuki o tokonatsu ni miredomo akazu kamukara narashi
English Translation: The snow that has fallen
and lies upon Tachiyama—
all summer long
I gaze and never tire;
it must be that it is divine
Meaning: The snow that lies upon Mount Tachiyama I can gaze at all summer long and never tire of it—surely because the mountain is divine.
Commentary: Book Seventeen 4001

Headnote: "A rhapsody on Mount Tachiyama, with tanka (this mountain is in Niikawa District)"—envoy
The snow on Mount Tachiyama never tires the eye though one gazes all summer, surely because the mountain is divine—a poem in praise of Tachiyama. This is an envoy to the chōka in praise of Mount Tachiyama that Yakamochi composed on the twenty-seventh day of the fourth month of 747 before going up to the capital, one of the Three Rhapsodies of Etchū. The chōka says that, though the land of Koshi has many mountains and rivers, on Tachiyama in Niikawa, ruled by its sovereign god, snow lies even through summer; that his thoughts will never fade, like the mists rising morning and evening over the clear shallows of the Katakai River at its foot; and that he will keep coming year after year to gaze on it and tell even those who have never seen it, as a tale for ten thousand ages. It praises the sacred splendor of snow that does not melt even in summer as springing from the mountain's divine nature.
The poet, Ōtomo no Yakamochi, was the son of the Major Counselor Ōtomo no Tabito. Appointed Governor of Etchū in 746, he spent five years there, later serving as Junior Counselor and Governor of Inaba before rising to Middle Counselor. He is thought to have played a central role in compiling the Man'yōshū.
The left note reads, "Twenty-seventh day of the fourth month, composed by Ōtomo no Sukune Yakamochi."

First line, "Tachiyama ni": today's Tateyama range, a sacred mountain rising in the east of Etchū.
Second line, "furiokeru yuki o": "the snow that has fallen and lies." Ikenushi's reply, 4004, answers with nearly the same first three lines, "the snow that has fallen and lies on Tachiyama."
Third line, "tokonatsu ni": "all through summer," taking up "tokonatsu ni yuki furishikite" in the chōka.
Fourth line, "miredomo akazu": a stock phrase of praise, akin to "miredo akanu kamo" in 3926. The poem pauses here.
Fifth line, "kamukara narashi": kara means nature or essence—"it must be from its divine nature," an inference. Ikenushi's 4004 answers this line with "kamunagara to zo."
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Miyakoe ni tatsu hi chikazuku akumade ni aimite yukana kouru hi ōkemu
Next Poem: Katakai no kawa no se kiyoku yuku mizu no tayuru koto naku arigayoi mimu