Amagumo ni nakiyuku kari no oto ni nomi kikiwataritsutsu au yoshi mo nashi - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

天雲に鳴きゆく雁のおとにのみ
聞きわたりつつ逢ふよしもなし

Roma-ji: Amagumo ni nakiyuku kari no oto ni nomi kikiwataritsutsu au yoshi mo nashi
English Translation: Like the wild geese
crying as they cross the clouds,
only by their sound,
by rumor, do I know you,
with no way ever to meet
Meaning: Like the cry of wild geese passing through the clouds in the sky, I go on hearing of you only by rumor, with no way to meet you.
Commentary: Book Ten Love Poems II 637

Headnote: "Sent to a woman for whom he had feelings."
The poet says that, like the cry of geese crossing the clouds, he hears of her only by rumor and has no way to meet her. He layers his longing for one beyond his reach with the voice of geese passing through the far sky.
According to the headnote, it was sent to a woman he had feelings for. The next poem, 638, shares the same headnote.
The poet, Tachibana no Kin'yori, was a son of Tachibana no Hiromi and served as Middle Counselor, also holding the post of Provisional Governor-General of Dazaifu.

The first line, "Amagumo ni," means "through the clouds of the sky."
The second line, "nakiyuku kari no," means "of the geese crying as they go." The first two lines form a preface leading to "oto" in the third line.
In the third line, "oto" is a pivot word joining the cry of the geese and "rumor."
The fourth line, "kikiwataritsutsu," means "hearing on and on," with "wataru" also suggesting the geese crossing the sky.
The last line, "au yoshi mo nashi," means "there is no way to meet."
Author: Tachibana no Kin'yori
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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