Haru kureba kogakure ōki yūzukuyo obotsukanashi mo hanakage ni shite - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

春来れば木隠れ多き夕月夜
おぼつかなしも花陰にして

Roma-ji: Haru kureba kogakure ōki yūzukuyo obotsukanashi mo hanakage ni shite
English Translation: When the spring arrives,
often hidden by the trees,
the moon of evening
is so dim and indistinct,
veiled in the shade of blossoms
Meaning: When spring comes, the evening moon, so often hidden among the trees, grows faint and uncertain in the shadow of the blossoms.
Commentary: Book Two Spring Poems II 62

Headnote: "Topic unknown."
In spring, as the trees fill out, the light of the evening moon, often hidden by the flowers, looks all the more faint. In the pale light of the moon blurred in the blossoms' shade, the poem captures the hazy charm of a spring night.
The poet is listed as "anonymous," and the composer's name has not come down to us. The text gives the poet as "yomibito mo," which is treated here as "anonymous."

The first line, "Haru kureba," means "when spring comes." 55 of this book places the same phrase in its third line.
The second line, "kogakure ōki," shows blossoms and young leaves thickening to conceal the moon.
The third line, "yūzukuyo," names the moon seen in the evening sky, or a night when it shines.
In the fourth line, "obotsukanashi" means dim and indistinct, and "mo" expresses a sigh. The poem pauses here.
The last line, "hanakage ni shite," means "veiled in the shade of blossoms," an inversion giving the reason the moon looks dim.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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