Chihayaburu hirano no matsu no eda shigemi chiyo mo yachiyo mo iro wa kawaraji - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

ちはやぶる平野の松の枝しげみ
千代も八千代も色は変はらじ

Roma-ji: Chihayaburu hirano no matsu no eda shigemi chiyo mo yachiyo mo iro wa kawaraji
English Translation: Mighty are the gods—
the pines of Hirano shrine
with their thick branches,
for a thousand, eight thousand years,
shall never change in color.
Meaning: Because the pines of the Hirano shrine grow so thick with branches, their green will not change for a thousand, even eight thousand years.
Commentary: Book Five Celebration Poems 264

Headnote: "When male envoys were first sent to the Hirano Festival, and I was asked to compose a song to be sung there"
Because the branches of the pines at the Hirano Shrine grow so thick, the poet says they will flourish unchanged in color for a thousand and eight thousand ages. In the evergreen of the sacred pines he sees the long continuance of the reign and celebrates it. According to the headnote, it was composed as a song to be sung at the Hirano Festival when male imperial envoys were sent there for the first time. The Hirano Festival was held at the Hirano Shrine in Yamashiro in the Fourth and Eleventh Months.
Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu was of the Ōnakatomi family, who served as chief priests of the Ise Shrine, and he himself held that office. He took part in compiling the Gosenshū and in reading the Man'yōshū as one of the Five Men of the Pear Chamber, and he is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.

First line, "chihayaburu," is a pillow word modifying words related to gods and shrines, here leading to the shrine of Hirano.
Second line, "hirano no matsu no," means "the pines of the Hirano Shrine" in Yamashiro. Many poems in this book sing of pines, continuing to "the tall pines of Kasugayama" in 267 and "the pines that never change their color" in 275.
Third line, "eda shigemi," means "since the branches are thick," a construction adding "mi" to an adjective stem to express a reason.
Fourth line, "chiyo mo yachiyo mo," means "for a thousand and eight thousand ages," endlessly long years.
Final line, "iro wa kawaraji," means "the color will not change," with "ji" an auxiliary of negative conjecture. It shares with "iro kaenu" in the first line of 275 and "the color of flowers that does not change" in 294 the conceit of entrusting long life to unchanging color.
Author: Onakatomi no Yoshinobu
Source: Shui Wakashu
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