Tsukikage no Tanakamigawa ni kiyokereba ajiro ni hio no yoru mo miekeri - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

月影の田上川に清ければ
網代に氷魚のよるも見えけり

Roma-ji: Tsukikage no Tanakamigawa ni kiyokereba ajiro ni hio no yoru mo miekeri
English Translation: Since the moonlight shines
so clear on Tanakami River,
upon the weirs
the ice-fish drawing near by night
can be seen, I now find.
Meaning: The moonlight on the Tanakami River is so clear that even by night I can see the ice-fish drawing near the fish weirs.
Commentary: Book Seventeen Miscellaneous Autumn Poems 1133

Headnote: "For a screen of the palace"
The poet says that the moonlight on the Tanakami River is so pure and clear that even at night he can see the ice-fish drawing near the weirs. The headnote shows it was written for a screen in the palace. Joining "yoru," the ice-fish drawing near, and "yoru," night, it expresses the brightness of the moon as enough to show the tiny ice-fish in the river at night.
The fourth line of the main text reads "ajiro" with the character for "rope," but in light of "ajiro" in the reading line, it appears to be a miscopying of the character for "net." Here it is treated as "ajiro," fish weir.
The author is Kiyohara no Motosuke, grandson of Kiyohara no Fukayabu and father of Sei Shōnagon. As one of the Five Men of the Pear Chamber, he took part in compiling the Gosenshū. He is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.

First line, "tsukikage no," means "the moonlight."
Second line, "Tanakamigawa ni," means "on the Tanakami River," which flows through Ōmi province into the Uji River.
Third line, "kiyokereba," means "since it is so clear," with "ba" attached to the perfective form giving the cause.
Fourth line, "ajiro ni hio no," means "the ice-fish at the weirs," sharing the same words with the second line of the next poem, 1134, "ajiro no hio ni."
Final line, "yoru mo miekeri," turns on the pivot word "yoru," joining "yoru," drawing near, and "yoru," night, so that it means "even by night I can see them draw near." "Keri" expresses a sigh of realization. It echoes the fourth line of the next poem, 1134, "nani ni yorite ka," through the word "yoru."
Author: Kiyohara no Motosuke
Source: Shui Wakashu
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