Iwama yori ochikuru taki no shiraito wa musubade miru mo suzushikarikeri - Senzai Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

岩間より落ちくる滝の白糸は
むすばで見るも涼しかりけり

Roma-ji: Iwama yori ochikuru taki no shiraito wa musubade miru mo suzushikarikeri
English Translation: The white threads of water
falling from between the rocks,
the waterfall's stream,
even unscooped, merely seen,
how cool they are to me!
Meaning: The white threads of the waterfall dropping from between the rocks are cool even to look at, without scooping them up in my hands.
Commentary: Book Three Summer Poems 222

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on seeking the cool for a poetry contest held by Yorisuke, Minister of Justice"
Like the preceding poem, this was composed on "seeking the cool" for Yorisuke's poetry contest. The stream of the waterfall dropping from between the rocks is like white threads, and even without scooping it up to drink, merely looking at it is cool. Pivoting on "musubu," both "scooping" water in one's hands and "tying" thread, and linking it to the waterfall seen as white threads, the poem expresses a coolness savored by the eye.
The author, "Fujiwara no Morikata Ason," was a courtier said to be the son of Fujiwara no Akitoki, Minister of Popular Affairs.

First line, "iwama yori": "from between the rocks." "Iwama moru" in 212 of this book also speaks of water between the rocks.
Second line, "ochikuru taki no": "of the waterfall dropping down."
Third line, "shiraito wa": "white threads," likening the waterfall's stream to white thread.
Fourth line, "musubade miru mo": "musubu" is a pivot word for "scooping" water by hand and "tying" thread, an associated word with "white threads." "De" is the negative conjunctive: "even looking without scooping."
Fifth line, "suzushikarikeri": "keri" is exclamatory. Where the preceding poem, 221, found coolness in the sound of a valley stream, this one finds it in the sight of a waterfall, dividing the theme of coolness between ear and eye.
Author: Fujiwara no Morikata
Source: Senzai Wakashu
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