Saibari ni koromo wa somen ame furedo utsuroigatashi fukaku somete wa - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

さいばりに衣は染めん雨降れど
移ろひがたし深く染めては

Roma-ji: Saibari ni koromo wa somen ame furedo utsuroigatashi fukaku somete wa
English Translation: With the alder bark
I will dye my robe a hue;
though the rain may fall
the color will not fade away,
if I dye it deep and true.
Meaning: I will dye my robe with alder; even when the rain falls, the color will hardly fade, if only I dye it deep.
Commentary: Book Ten Kagura Songs 585

The poem resolves to dye a robe with alder, for if it is dyed deeply the color will not fade even in the rain. The unfading color of a deeply dyed robe can also be read as overlaid with an unchanging heart.
This book is devoted to kagura songs, and from its opening poem to 586 come songs sung at the court kagura, with neither author nor headnote recorded. There is a theory that the name of the group of kagura songs called saibari comes from one of its pieces, "Saibari," and this poem is related to that piece.

First line, "saibari ni," means "with alder," a tree whose bark and fruit are used as dye.
Second line, "koromo wa somen," means "I will dye my robe," with "n" an auxiliary of intention. The poem breaks after this second line.
Third line, "ame furedo," means "though rain falls," with "do" a concessive particle.
Fourth line, "utsuroigatashi," means "the color will hardly fade."
Final line, "fukaku somete wa," means "if dyed deep," giving the reason for the fourth line in inverted order. It repeats the word "some," dye, from "somen" in the second line.
Source: Shui Wakashu
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