Mizu no ue ni omoishi mono o fuyu no yo no kōri wa sode no mono ni zo arikeru - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

水の上に思ひしものを冬の夜の
氷は袖のものにぞありける

Roma-ji: Mizu no ue ni omoishi mono o fuyu no yo no kōri wa sode no mono ni zo arikeru
English Translation: Upon the water,
so I had believed it formed,
but on winter nights
ice, it seems, is something that
belongs to the sleeve instead.
Meaning: I had thought ice formed upon the water, but on winter nights, it turns out, ice is something that forms on one's sleeve.
Commentary: Book Four Winter Poems 233

Headnote: "Topic unknown"
The poet realizes that, though he had thought ice formed on water, the ice of winter nights is something that forms on the sleeve. Implying that a sleeve wet with tears freezes in the cold of the night, the poem expresses the sorrow of sleeping alone through the surprise of where ice is found.

First line, "mizu no ue ni," means "as something on the water."
Second line, "omoishi mono o," means "so I had thought, but," with "mono o" expressing contrast.
Third line, "fuyu no yo no," means "of the winter night."
Fourth line, "kōri wa sode no," means "the ice, of the sleeve." Whereas 227 in this book said the fire of longing kept the water from freezing, here the sleeve freezes, pairing water and sleeve.
Final line, "mono ni zo arikeru," means "was something belonging to," with "zo" resolved by the attributive "keru" and "keri" expressing the exclamation of realization.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Shui Wakashu
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