Kimi ga tame iwau kokoro no fukakereba hijiri no miyo no ato narae to zo - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

君がため祝ふ心の深ければ
聖の御代のあとならへとぞ

Roma-ji: Kimi ga tame iwau kokoro no fukakereba hijiri no miyo no ato narae to zo
English Translation: For your sake, my heart
so deeply wishes you well,
that I bid you learn
the traces of the sage kings
and follow in their reign
Meaning: Because my heart wishes you well so deeply, I ask that you learn from these traces, and follow the footsteps of the reigns of the sage emperors.
Commentary: Book Twenty Congratulatory Poems 1378

Headnote: "When the present emperor was still known as the Prince Governor-General and came to the house of the Grand Minister, presenting a copybook as a parting gift on his return."
The poet says that since his heart of blessing is so deep, he asks the prince to learn the traces of the sage reigns. Presenting a copybook to a prince who would later take the throne, he hopes the prince will both copy its brushwork and model himself on the government of the sage emperors, a blessing and a hope for the future.
According to the headnote, when the present emperor, Emperor Murakami, was still a prince serving as Governor-General of Dazaifu, he visited the Grand Minister's house, and as a parting gift on his return the poet presented a copybook. The next poem is the emperor's reply, and the two form an exchange.
The poet, "the Grand Minister," is Fujiwara no Tadahira. The fourth son of Fujiwara no Mototsune, he served as Regent, Chancellor and Grand Minister, and was posthumously named Teishinkō. The Ogura Hyakunin Isshu includes his poem "Ogurayama mine no momijiba kokoro araba."

The first line, "Kimi ga tame," means "for your sake," referring to the prince. It is the same first line as 1375 of this book.
The second line, "iwau kokoro no," means "my heart that blesses you."
The third line, "fukakereba," means "since it is deep," with "ba" giving the cause.
The fourth line, "hijiri no miyo no," means "of the reigns of the sage emperors," the ideal reigns of old.
The last line, "ato narae to zo," is a pivot word on "ato," both the brushwork of a copybook and the deeds of sage reigns. A verb such as "I think" is left unsaid after "zo." It is taken up by "ato wa madowaji" in the last line of the next poem.
Author: Fujiwara no Tadahira
Source: Gosen Wakashu
Prev Poem: Kyōsoku o osaete masae yorozuyo ni hana no sakari o kokoro shizuka ni
Next Poem: Oshieoku koto tagawazu wa yukusue no michi tōku tomo ato wa madowaji