Amatsu sora hitotsu ni miyuru Koshi no umi no nami o wakete mo kaeru karigane - Senzai Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

天つ空ひとつに見ゆる越の海の
波を分けても帰る雁がね

Roma-ji: Amatsu sora hitotsu ni miyuru Koshi no umi no nami o wakete mo kaeru karigane
English Translation: Where the heavens' sky
appears as one with it,
the sea of Koshi,
parting even through its waves
the wild geese go home
Meaning: Even parting the waves of the sea of Koshi, which looks as one with the vast sky, the wild geese fly home.
Commentary: Book One Spring Poems I 38

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on the spirit of returning geese"
Like the preceding poem, this one was composed on "returning geese." The sea of Koshi in the north stretches so far that it seems one with the sky, yet the geese return north even if they must part its waves. It portrays the geese single-mindedly heading home through a vast scene where the line between sky and sea cannot be seen.
The author, "Former Provisional Master of the Eastern Capital Yorimasa," is Minamoto no Yorimasa, son of Minamoto no Nakamasa, Head of the Bureau of Military Storehouses. After serving as Provisional Master of the Western Capital he rose to Junior Third Rank. A warrior who was also a famed poet, in 1180 he raised troops against the Taira in the name of Prince Mochihito and died in defeat at Uji.

First line, "amatsu sora": "tsu" is an old particle meaning "of," so "the sky of heaven."
Second line, "hitotsu ni miyuru": "appearing as one," sky and sea. Where the preceding poem, 37, said "hitotsu ni narinu" of geese merging into cloud, this poem depicts sky and sea merging.
Third line, "Koshi no umi no": the sea of the northern Hokuriku region, a six-syllable line exceeding the count. It indicates the northern direction the geese return to.
Fourth line, "nami o wakete mo": "even parting the waves," showing the geese pressing on through hardship.
Fifth line, "kaeru karigane": ends on a noun, the same last line as the preceding poem, 37.
Author: Minamoto no Yorimasa
Source: Senzai Wakashu
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