Yūsareba kaya ga shigemi ni nakikawasu mushi no ne o sae waketsutsu zo yuku - Senzai Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

夕されば萱が茂みに鳴き交はす
虫の音をさへ分けつつぞ行く

Roma-ji: Yūsareba kaya ga shigemi ni nakikawasu mushi no ne o sae waketsutsu zo yuku
English Translation: When evening comes,
in the thickets of the grass
the insects call,
and even through their voices
I part my way and go
Meaning: When evening comes, I make my way along, parting not only the thick grasses but even the voices of the insects calling to each other in them.
Commentary: Book Four Autumn Poems I 255

Headnote: "Composed on the topic 'An Autumn Evening on a Field Path' for a poetry contest held at the house of the Regent and Former Minister of the Right"
Composed for a poetry contest held at the residence of the Regent and Former Minister of the Right, Kujō Kanezane, on the topic "An Autumn Evening on a Field Path." As the poet walks the field path at dusk, insects call to one another in the thickets of grass, and as he parts the thickets he seems to part their voices too. The device lies in "parting" the insects' voices, heard with the ear, just as one parts the grasses with one's hands.
The author, "Fujiwara no Morikata Ason," was a courtier said to be the son of Fujiwara no Akitoki, Minister of Popular Affairs.
Poems 259 and 272 of this book also open with "yūsareba," singing of autumn evenings.

First line, "yūsareba": "yū saru" means evening comes, expressing "autumn evening" in the headnote's topic. Poems 259 and 272 of this book open with the same line.
Second line, "kaya ga shigemi ni": "kaya" is a general term for grasses such as pampas used for thatching, here growing thick.
Third line, "nakikawasu": "calling to one another," of the insects.
Fourth line, "mushi no ne o sae": "sae" adds, "even the insects' voices," as well as the grass.
Fifth line, "waketsutsu zo yuku": "tsutsu" expresses continuing action and "zo" closes with the attributive "yuku." This line expresses the "field path" of the topic.
Author: Fujiwara no Morikata
Source: Senzai Wakashu
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