Chitose furu Matsugasaki ni wa mureitsutsu tazu sae asobu kokoro aru rashi - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

千歳経る松が崎には群れゐつつ
鶴さへ遊ぶ心あるらし

Roma-ji: Chitose furu Matsugasaki ni wa mureitsutsu tazu sae asobu kokoro aru rashi
English Translation: At Matsugasaki,
where the pines pass a thousand years,
gathering in flocks,
even the cranes, it would seem,
have a heart to play and roam.
Meaning: At Matsugasaki, where pines live a thousand years, even the cranes, it seems, have a mind to gather in flocks and play.
Commentary: Book Ten Kagura Songs 607

Headnote: "Fūzoku songs for the Great Thanksgiving Festival of the first year of Anna: Matsugasaki"
The poem says that at Matsugasaki, where pines live a thousand years, even the cranes seem to have a mind to flock together and play. Pairing pine and crane, both symbols of long life, it sees in the auspicious birds gathering and playing the prosperity and endurance of the reign. Poem 617, for the Great Thanksgiving Festival of the first year of Tenroku, also takes Matsugasaki as its topic and likewise sings of cranes and pines.
The headnote, "Fūzoku songs for the Great Thanksgiving Festival of the first year of Anna," shows that the poem was offered at the Great Thanksgiving Festival held in the first year of Anna upon the accession of Emperor Reizei. At this festival, poems working in the place names of the provinces chosen as Yuki and Suki were offered, and from here to 608 poems follow whose topics are the names of mountains and shores in those provinces.
The author, Kiyohara no Motosuke, was the father of Sei Shōnagon and took part in compiling the Gosenshū as one of the Five Men of the Pear Chamber. He is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.

First line, "chitose furu," means "passing a thousand years," modifying "matsu," pine, in the second line.
Second line, "Matsugasaki ni wa," means "at Matsugasaki," the place name given as the topic. It is the same line as the second line of 617, "Matsugasaki ni wa."
Third line, "mureitsutsu," means "gathering in flocks," with "tsutsu" expressing continuation.
Fourth line, "tazu sae asobu," means "even the cranes play," with "sae" an adverbial particle of addition. It shares the crane with the first line of 617, "tsuru no sumu."
Final line, "kokoro aru rashi," means "seem to have a heart for it," with "rashi" an auxiliary of grounded inference.
Author: Kiyohara no Motosuke
Source: Shui Wakashu
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