Toshi o hete tachinarashitsuru ashitazu no ika naru kata ni ato todomu ran - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

年を経て立ち馴らしつる葦鶴の
いかなる方に跡とどむらん

Roma-ji: Toshi o hete tachinarashitsuru ashitazu no ika naru kata ni ato todomu ran
English Translation: Year after year
you have trodden and smoothed
the ground, O reed crane—
now in what other quarter
will your footprints come to rest?
Meaning: O crane of the reeds, who for many years has trodden this ground smooth, in what other quarter will you now leave your footprints?
Commentary: Book Eight Miscellaneous Poems I 498

Headnote: "When the Minister of the Left, after becoming son-in-law to the Tsuchimikado Minister of the Left, sent for the pattern of his socks"
The poet wonders where the crane of the reeds, which has trodden her ground smooth for many years, will now leave its footprints. The headnote shows she composed it when the Minister of the Left, after becoming son-in-law to the Tsuchimikado Minister of the Left, sent a messenger for the pattern of his socks. Linking the sock pattern with a crane's footprints, she conveys, as concern for where the crane will go, the loneliness of seeing someone she long cared for leave for a new tie. Sharing the third line "ashitazu no" with the preceding poem, 497, two poems on cranes stand side by side.
The author, Atago no Miya, was a daughter of the Minister of the Right Fujiwara no Morosuke and the wife of the Minister of the Left Minamoto no Takaakira. She is said to have taken the tonsure after her husband fell from power in the Anna Incident.

First line, "toshi o hete," means "over many years."
Second line, "tachinarashitsuru," means "that has trodden smooth," describing frequent coming and going, with "tsuru" the attributive form of the perfective "tsu."
Third line, "ashitazu no," means "of the crane among the reeds," the same line as the preceding poem's third line, likening the person to a crane.
Fourth line, "ika naru kata ni," means "in what quarter," overlaying the sense of direction with that of a person.
Final line, "ato todomu ran," means "will it leave its footprints," with "ran" an auxiliary of present conjecture. "Ato," footprints, ties to the sock pattern in the headnote.
Author: Atago no Miya
Source: Shui Wakashu
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