Waga koi o shiran to omowaba Tago no ura ni tatsuran nami no kazu o kazoe yo - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

我が恋を知らんと思はば田子の浦に
立つらん浪の数をかぞへよ

Roma-ji: Waga koi o shiran to omowaba Tago no ura ni tatsuran nami no kazu o kazoe yo
English Translation: If you would know
how deep my love truly runs,
at Tago Bay
go out and count the waves
that must be rising there
Meaning: If you wish to know my love, go and count the waves that must be rising on the shore at Tago Bay.
Commentary: Book Ten Love Poems II 630

Headnote: "A woman sent word that she could not tell the depth of his feelings."
The poet says that if she wants to know his love, she should count the waves rising at Tago Bay. Through the countless waves, he shows that his love has no end.
According to the headnote, he composed it because the woman had written that she could not tell how deep his feelings were. 643 in this book also measures the abundance of love by the sands of the beach, likewise citing something beyond counting to show the depth of feeling.
The poet, Fujiwara no Okikaze, was a son of Fujiwara no Michinari and was also skilled in music. He is one of the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals, and his "tare o ka mo shiru hito ni semu Takasago no" is included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu.

The first line, "Waga koi o," means "my love."
The second line, "shiran to omowaba," means "if you would know."
The third line, "Tago no ura ni," means "at Tago Bay," a poetic place in Suruga, and has six syllables, one more than usual.
The fourth line, "tatsuran nami no," means "of the waves that must be rising," with "ran" an auxiliary of conjecture about something not before one's eyes.
The last line, "kazu o kazoe yo," means "count their number," closing the poem with a command.
Author: Fujiwara no Okikaze
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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