Naniwagata shigeriaeru wa kimi ga yo ni ashikaru waza o seneba naru beshi - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

難波潟茂りあへるは君が代に
あしかるわざをせねばなるべし

Roma-ji: Naniwagata shigeriaeru wa kimi ga yo ni ashikaru waza o seneba naru beshi
English Translation: That on Naniwa's flats
the reeds grow thick together
is because, I think,
under your rule no one does
ill, nor cuts the reeds away.
Meaning: The reeds grow thick together on Naniwa's flats, surely because in your reign no one cuts the reeds and no one does ill.
Commentary: Book Nine Miscellaneous Poems II 538

Headnote: "Composed at the home of a man who was Governor of Tsu"
The poet says that the reeds grow thick on Naniwa's flats surely because under the governor's rule no one cuts the reeds and no one does wrong. The headnote shows it was composed at the home of a man who was Governor of Settsu. Pivoting on "ashikaru," "cutting reeds" and "evil," it lays praise for the governor's good rule over the scene of thick reeds on Naniwa's flats. Following the preceding poem, 537, it sings of Naniwa.
The author, written as "Tadami," is Mibu no Tadami. A son of Mibu no Tadamine, he is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets. He is known for his poem "koi su chō" in the Hyakunin Isshu, with which he competed against Taira no Kanemori at the Tentoku Palace Poetry Contest.

First line, "Naniwagata," means "the flats of Naniwa," sharing the place name with the first line of the preceding poem, 537, "Naniwae no."
Second line, "shigeriaeru wa," means "that they grow thick together," speaking of the reeds growing densely.
Third line, "kimi ga yo ni," means "in your reign," pointing to the governor's rule over Settsu.
Fourth line, "ashikaru waza o," is a pivot word: "ashikaru" means "cutting reeds" and "evil." It layers the cutting of reeds with wrongdoing. It carries on the word "ashi," reed, from the second line of the preceding poem, "ashi no hanage no," and the second line of 540, two poems later, "ashikarikeri to," uses the same pivot.
Final line, "seneba naru beshi," means "it must be because no one does," with "ne" the perfective form of the negative "zu" and "beshi" conjectural.
Author: Mibu no Tadami
Source: Shui Wakashu
Prev Poem: Naniwae no ashi no hanage no majireru wa Tsu no kuni kai no koma ni ya aru ran
Next Poem: Miyako ni wa sumiwabihatete Tsu no kuni no Sumiyoshi to kiku sato ni koso yuke