Yamazato no kakine ni haru ya shirukaramu kasumanu saki ni uguisu no naku - Senzai Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

山里の垣根に春やしるからむ
霞まぬ先に鶯の鳴く

Roma-ji: Yamazato no kakine ni haru ya shirukaramu kasumanu saki ni uguisu no naku
English Translation: Is spring so plainly
known along the hedges
of a mountain village?
Even before the haze has risen
the warbler sings
Meaning: Is the coming of spring so plain to see along the hedges of the mountain village? Even before the haze has risen, the warbler is already singing.
Commentary: Book One Spring Poems I 6

Headnote: "Composed for the Empress's poetry contest in the reign of Emperor Go-Reizei"
Composed for a poetry contest held by Empress Fujiwara no Hiroko in the reign of Emperor Go-Reizei, this poem observes that the warbler sings along the hedges of a mountain village even before the haze, the sign of spring, has risen. The poet marvels at the bird's sensitivity, wondering whether spring is so plainly known to it.
The author, "Major Counselor Takakuni," is Minamoto no Takakuni, son of Provisional Major Counselor Minamoto no Toshikata, who himself rose to Provisional Major Counselor. Living at Uji, he was called the Uji Major Counselor and is regarded as the compiler of the tale collection Uji Dainagon Monogatari.

First line, "yamazato no": a village in the mountains, far from the capital. Where the preceding poem, 5, placed the warbler in the valley, this one sets it at the hedge of a mountain village where people live.
Second line, "kakine ni haru ya": the interrogative "ya" links with "ramu" in the third line.
Third line, "shirukaramu": "shirushi" is an adjective meaning "plain, evident," and "ramu" is the attributive form of present conjecture: "is spring so evident there?" The poem pauses here.
Fourth line, "kasumanu saki ni": "before the haze appears." Since poem 1, haze has been the visible sign of spring, and here the warbler outruns it.
Fifth line, "uguisu no naku": ending on the attributive form, it supplies after the fact the reason for the conjecture in the first three lines, an effect of inversion.
Author: Minamoto no Takakuni
Source: Senzai Wakashu
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