Itazura ni yo ni furu mono to Takasago no matsu mo ware o ya tomo to miru ran - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

いたづらに世にふる物と高砂の
松も我をや友と見るらん

Roma-ji: Itazura ni yo ni furu mono to Takasago no matsu mo ware o ya tomo to miru ran
English Translation: As one who passes
his years in the world for naught,
growing old and worn,
does the pine of Takasago
look upon me as a friend?
Meaning: As one who has passed his years in vain and grown old in this world, does the pine of Takasago too look upon me as a companion?
Commentary: Book Eight Miscellaneous Poems I 463

Headnote: "Written at the end of a booklet someone had me copy, at a time when I was lamenting that I had received no post"
The poet wonders whether the pine of Takasago, too, regards him as a companion, as one who has passed his years in vain and grown old. The headnote shows he wrote it at the end of a booklet he had been asked to copy, at a time when he lamented receiving no post. Overlaying the aged pine of Takasago on himself growing old in obscurity, he laments with self-mockery. Taking up the lament of a self passing the years through the pine in the preceding poem, 462, it also recalls the pine of Takasago in 453 of this book.
The author, written as Tsurayuki, is Ki no Tsurayuki. The leading compiler of the Kokinshū, he wrote its kana preface and the Tosa Diary. He is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.
In the Kokinshū, Fujiwara no Okikaze's poem laments a loneliness in which even the pine of Takasago cannot be taken for an old friend; this poem, by contrast, sings of being taken for a friend by the pine.

First line, "itazura ni," means "in vain."
Second line, "yo ni furu mono to," means "as one who passes his years in the world." "Furu" is a pivot word joining "furu," to pass the years, and "furu," to grow old and worn. It also answers the first line of the opening poem of the book, 432, "yo ni furu ni."
Third line, "Takasago no," means "of Takasago" in Harima, famous for its pines.
Fourth line, "matsu mo ware o ya," means "does the pine too, me," with "ya" a questioning particle.
Final line, "tomo to miru ran," means "see as a companion," resolving "ya" with the attributive "ran."
Author: Ki no Tsurayuki
Source: Shui Wakashu
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