Toshi fureba koshi no shirayama oinikeri ōku no fuyu no yuki tsumoritsutsu - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

年経れば越の白山老いにけり
多くの冬の雪積もりつつ

Roma-ji: Toshi fureba koshi no shirayama oinikeri ōku no fuyu no yuki tsumoritsutsu
English Translation: As the years go by,
Shirayama of Koshi
has grown old and white,
with the snow of many winters
piling higher year on year.
Meaning: With the passing of the years, Shirayama in Koshi has grown old and white-haired, as the snows of so many winters have piled up on it.
Commentary: Book Four Winter Poems 249

Headnote: "Topic unknown"
Through the snows of many winters piling up over the long years, Shirayama in Koshi has grown old. Likening the whiteness of the snow-capped mountain to white hair and letting the mountain age like a person, the poem conveys the weight of accumulated years.
The author, written as Tadami, is Mibu no Tadami. A son of Mibu no Tadamine, he is known for the story of his defeat by Taira no Kanemori at the palace poetry contest of the fourth year of Tentoku. He is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.

First line, "toshi fureba," means "as the years have passed."
Second line, "koshi no shirayama," is Shirayama in the land of Koshi, a famed mountain sung of as crowned with snow. It takes up the second line of the preceding poem, "koshi no yamaji ni."
Third line, "oinikeri," means "it has grown old," likening the mountain's whiteness to white hair. The poem pauses here.
Fourth line, "ōku no fuyu no," means "of many winters."
Final line, "yuki tsumoritsutsu," means "with the snow piling up," with "tsutsu" expressing continuation. By inversion it gives the reason for the aging afterward. It shares the theme of accumulated years with the next poem, 250, which asks over how many ages the snow has piled.
Author: Mibu no Tadami
Source: Shui Wakashu
Prev Poem: Ware hitori koshi no yamaji ni koshikadomo yuki furinikeru ato o miru kana
Next Poem: Miwataseba matsu no ha shiroki yoshinoyama ikuyo tsumoreru yuki ni ka aru ran