Au koto wa tōyamadori no karigoromo kite wa kai naki ne o nomi zo naku - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

逢ふことはとほ山鳥の狩衣
きてはかひなき音をのみぞ泣く

Roma-ji: Au koto wa tōyamadori no karigoromo kite wa kai naki ne o nomi zo naku
English Translation: Meeting you is far,
as the far-mountain pheasant
on this hunting robe—
wearing it, coming here, in vain,
I can only weep aloud
Meaning: Our meeting is as far off as the mountain pheasant printed on this hunting robe—whether I wear it or come to you, it is no use, and I can only cry aloud.
Commentary: Book Ten Love Poems II 679

Headnote: "A woman he was secretly visiting sent him hunting attire, and among it was a hunting robe printed with a pattern."
The poet says that meeting is as far off as the mountain pheasant printed on the hunting robe; whether he wears it or comes to her, it is in vain and he only weeps aloud. Playing on the pattern of the robe the woman sent him, he laments how seldom they can meet.
According to the headnote, a woman he was secretly visiting sent him hunting attire, which included a robe printed with a pattern. The mountain pheasant was said to sleep with its mate across a ridge, and it is sung of as a figure for lovers who cannot meet.
The poet, called "Motoyoshi no Miko," is Prince Motoyoshi, the eldest son of Emperor Yōzei, known for his many love affairs. His "wabinureba ima hata onaji Naniwa naru" is included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu.

The first line, "Au koto wa," means "our meeting."
In the second line, "tō" is a pivot word joining meeting being "far off" and the "far-mountain pheasant" printed on the robe.
The third line, "karigoromo," is a robe worn for hunting, referring to the gift in the headnote.
In the fourth line, "ki" is a pivot word joining "ki," to wear, and "ki," to come: "whether I wear it or come, it is no use."
The last line, "ne o nomi zo naku," means "I only weep aloud," layered with the pheasant's cry. "Zo" is an emphatic particle closing with the attributive "naku," a kakarimusubi pattern.
Author: Prince Motoyoshi
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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