Waga koi no kazu ni shi toraba shirotae no hama no masago mo tsukinu beranari - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

我が恋の数にし取らば白妙の
浜の真砂も尽きぬべらなり

Roma-ji: Waga koi no kazu ni shi toraba shirotae no hama no masago mo tsukinu beranari
English Translation: If one were to count
the tally of my loves,
even the white sands
upon the shining beach
would surely be used up
Meaning: If my loves were to be counted, even the fine white sands of the beach would surely run out.
Commentary: Book Ten Love Poems II 643

Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says that if his loves were counted, even the fine white sands of the beach would surely run out. Citing the sands of the shore, a figure for the countless, he exaggerates a love that exceeds even them.
630 in this book also shows the depth of love through the number of waves at Tago Bay, the same conceit of citing something beyond counting.
The poet, Ariwara no Muneyana, was a son of Ariwara no Narihira and served as Governor of Chikuzen, among other posts.

The first line, "Waga koi no," means "of my love."
The second line, "kazu ni shi toraba," means "if it were counted," with "shi" an emphatic particle. Like "kazu o kazoe yo" in the last line of 630 in this book, it measures love by number.
The third line, "shirotae no," originally meaning white cloth, is a pillow word for the white "beach."
The fourth line, "hama no masago mo," means "even the fine sand of the beach," a figure for the countless.
The last line, "tsukinu beranari," means "would surely run out," with "beranari" an auxiliary of conjecture much used in the early Heian period.
Author: Ariwara no Muneyoshi
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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