Hito ni tsuku tayori dani nashi ōaraki no mori no shita naru kusa no mi nareba - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

人につく便りだになし大荒木の
森の下なる草の身なれば

Roma-ji: Hito ni tsuku tayori dani nashi ōaraki no mori no shita naru kusa no mi nareba
English Translation: I have not even
a way to win someone's favor,
for in Ōaraki's
forest, down below the trees,
I am but a blade of grass
Meaning: I have not even the means to attach myself to a patron, for I am only a blade of grass beneath the trees of the forest of Ōaraki.
Commentary: Book Sixteen Miscellaneous Poems II 1186

Headnote: "Since we had long been friends, I consulted Tsurayuki and had him pass my name register on to Lord Kanesuke's house; I sent this to Tsurayuki along with the register."
The poet says that he has not even the means to attach himself to a patron, being only grass beneath the trees of Ōaraki forest. Presenting his name register to enter the service of Fujiwara no Kanesuke, he humbly calls himself an overlooked undergrowth with no connections and asks Tsurayuki, his go-between, to speak for him.
According to the headnote, since they had long been friends, he consulted Tsurayuki and had him deliver his name register to Kanesuke's house, and sent this to Tsurayuki along with it. Like 1178 in this book, it draws on the Kokinshu "Ōaraki no mori no shitakusa oinureba," so poems likening an unfavored self to grass in the forest of Ōaraki stand together.
The poet, "Mitsune," is Ōshikōchi no Mitsune. One of the compilers of the Kokinshu, he is counted among the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals. The Ogura Hyakunin Isshu includes his poem "Kokoroate ni oraba ya oramu hatsushimo no."

The first line, "Hito ni tsuku," means "to attach myself to someone," referring to entering Kanesuke's service.
The second line, "tayori dani nashi," means "I have not even the means," with "dani" naming the least to give emphasis. The poem pauses here.
The third line, "ōaraki no," means "of the forest of Ōaraki," with an extra syllable. It is the same word as the first line of 1178 in this book.
The fourth line, "mori no shita naru," means "beneath the forest," the undergrowth hidden in the shade of tall trees.
The last line, "kusa no mi nareba," means "since I am like grass," supplying the reason for the second line in inverted order.
Author: Oshikochi no Mitsune
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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