Kon to iishi tsukihi o sugusu Obasute no yama no ha tsuraki mono ni zo arikeru - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

来んと言ひし月日を過ぐす姨捨の
山の端つらきものにぞありける

Roma-ji: Kon to iishi tsukihi o sugusu Obasute no yama no ha tsuraki mono ni zo arikeru
English Translation: Letting slip the months
and days you said you'd come,
on Obasute
the edge of the mountain
is a cruel thing, I find
Meaning: You let slip the months and days by which you said you would come; like the mountain rim of Obasute that hides the moon, how cruel you have been.
Commentary: Book Nine Love Poems I 542

Headnote: "Someone had gone away saying he would come back by a certain time, but the time passed and he did not come, so she sent this."
The poet likens a man who has not come back though the promised months and days have passed to the mountain rim of Obasute that hides the moon, and calls him cruel. Leading from the "tsuki," moon, of "tsukihi," months and days, to Obasute, famed for its moon, she reproaches him for breaking his promise.
According to the headnote, someone who had gone away saying he would return by a certain time did not come back after the time had passed, so she sent this. The next poem is the reply, and the two form a pair of exchanged poems.
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, "Kon to iishi," has an extra syllable and means "you who said you would come."
The second line, "tsukihi o sugusu," means "letting the promised months and days go by," leading through "tsuki," moon, to "Obasute" in the third line. "Tsukihi o mo," which opens the next poem, takes this up.
The third line, "Obasute no," means "of Mount Obasute in Shinano," a poetic place famed for the moon.
The fourth line, "yama no ha tsuraki," means "the mountain rim that hides the moon is cruel," a figure for the one who broke his promise.
The last line, "mono ni zo arikeru," means "such a thing it is," the particle "zo" and the attributive "keru" forming a kakarimusubi pattern.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Gosen Wakashu
Prev Poem: Ada ni koso chiru to miru rame kimi ni mina utsuroinitaru hana no kokoro o
Next Poem: Tsukihi o mo kazoekeru kana kimi kouru kazu o mo shiranu waga mi nani nari