classic waka stream

世とともにあかしの浦の松原は
波をのみこそよると知るらめ
Roma-ji

Yo to tomo ni Akashi no ura no matsubara wa nami o nomi koso yoru to shiru rame

English Translation
Ever and always
on the bright shore of Akashi
the pine grove stands,
and only of the waves it knows
that they come by night.
Meaning
The pine grove on the ever-bright shore of Akashi knows no night; it must think that "night" means only the drawing in of the waves.
Commentary
Book Eight Miscellaneous Poems I 464

Headnote: "When I was traveling by boat along the shore of Akashi Bay"
The poet says that the pine grove on the ever-bright shore of Akashi knows no night, and must take "yoru" to mean only the waves drawing in. The headnote shows it was composed while passing the shore of Akashi Bay by boat. Joining the place name Akashi with "akashi," bright, and "yoru" with both "to draw near" and "night," he praises the bright, beautiful bay with witty expression. Following the pines of the preceding group, it sings of a pine grove, and the bay of Akashi also appears in 477 of this book.
The author, Minamoto no Tamenori, was a son of Minamoto no Tadayuki and a mid-Heian man of letters. He studied under Minamoto no Shitagō and wrote the Sanbōe and the Kuchizusami.

First line, "yo to tomo ni," means "always, ever."
Second line, "Akashi no ura no," means "of the shore of Akashi." "Akashi" is a pivot word joining the place name and "akashi," bright.
Third line, "matsubara wa," means "the pine grove," continuing the pines of the preceding group.
Fourth line, "nami o nomi koso," means "only the waves," with "koso" an emphatic particle.
Final line, "yoru to shiru rame," means "must know as drawing near," resolving "koso" with the perfective form "rame." "Yoru" is a pivot word joining the waves drawing near and night, the wit being that the pine grove of a bright shore knows no night.
Author
Minamoto no Tamenori
Source
Shui Wakashu
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