Ikuyo heshi isobe no matsu zo mukashi yori tachiyoru nami ya kazu wa shiruran - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

幾世経し磯辺の松ぞ昔より
立ち寄る波や数は知るらん

Roma-ji: Ikuyo heshi isobe no matsu zo mukashi yori tachiyoru nami ya kazu wa shiruran
English Translation: How many ages
has this pine on the rocky shore
passed? From of old
the waves that have come up to it
surely know the number well.
Meaning: How many ages has this pine on the rocky shore passed? The waves that have come up to it since long ago must know the count.
Commentary: Book Eighteen Miscellaneous Congratulatory Poems 1169

Headnote: "In the Engi era, for the four screens of the Kamo Priestess, by imperial command"
The poet asks how many ages the pine on the rocky shore has passed, and says the waves that have washed up to it since ancient times must know. The headnote shows it was composed by imperial command for four screens of the Kamo Priestess in the Engi era of Emperor Daigo. Saying that only the ever-returning waves know the pine's years, too many for people to count, it celebrates boundless age through the long life of the pine. It is one of the pine poems that run from 1164 in this book, singing of a pine by the sea against the pine on the ridge in the preceding poem, 1168.
The author, written as "Tsurayuki," is Ki no Tsurayuki, the leading compiler of the Kokinshū, who wrote its kana preface and the Tosa Diary. He is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.

First line, "ikuyo heshi," means "having passed how many ages," with "shi" the attributive form of the past auxiliary "ki."
Second line, "isobe no matsu zo," means "is this pine of the rocky shore," with "zo" strengthening the question. The poem breaks after this second line. Against the pine on the ridge in the fourth and final lines of the preceding poem, 1168, it sings of a pine by the sea.
Third line, "mukashi yori," means "from of old."
Fourth line, "tachiyoru nami ya," means "the waves that have come up," with the binding particle "ya" resolved by "ran" in the final line.
Final line, "kazu wa shiruran," means "must know the number," with "ran" the attributive form of the auxiliary of present conjecture. It layers the count of the waves over the count of the pine's years.
Author: Ki no Tsurayuki
Source: Shui Wakashu
Prev Poem: Ware nomi ya komotaru teeba Takasago no onoe ni tateru matsu mo komotari
Next Poem: Komurasaki tanabiku koto o shirube nite Kurai no yama no mine o tazunen