Hito shirenu Ōuchiyama no yamamori wa kogakurete nomi tsuki o miru kana - Senzai Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

人知れぬ大内山の山守は
木隠れてのみ月を見るかな

Roma-ji: Hito shirenu Ōuchiyama no yamamori wa kogakurete nomi tsuki o miru kana
English Translation: Unknown to anyone,
the guardian of the mountain
of the great palace
only from behind the trees
looks upon the shining moon
Meaning: Unknown to anyone, I, the keeper of the mountain of the palace, can only gaze upon the moon from hiding behind the trees.
Commentary: Book Sixteen Miscellaneous Poems I 978

Headnote: "Sent to a lady-in-waiting on a night of an imperial outing when the moon was bright, in the reign of Emperor Nijō, when for years I had been charged with guarding the palace and, though within its walls, had not been granted the right to ascend to the courtiers' hall"
In the reign of Emperor Nijō, he had guarded the palace for years and, though within its walls, had not been permitted to enter the courtiers' hall; on a moonlit night of an imperial outing he sent this poem to a lady-in-waiting. The keeper of the palace mountain, unknown to anyone, can only gaze at the moon from behind the trees, he says. Likening the palace to a mountain, himself as its guard to a mountain keeper, and the emperor to the moon, he laments the misfortune of serving close by yet being unable to ascend to the hall. The Tale of the Heike records that this poem earned him the right to ascend.
The author, "Yorimasa, Former Provisional Master of the Right Capital Office," is Minamoto no Yorimasa. A son of Minamoto no Nakamasa, he served as a warrior of the Settsu Genji guarding the palace and rose to the junior third rank. Later he raised troops against the Taira in support of Prince Mochihito and died in defeat at Uji.
From this poem on, poems on the moon continue. Where this poem likens the moon to the emperor, the next poem, 979, likens it to a consort who has renounced the world.

First line, "hito shirenu": "unknown to others," expressing an obscure position.
Second line, "Ōuchiyama no": "of the great palace mountain," a term likening the palace to a mountain.
Third line, "yamamori wa": "the mountain keeper," standing for himself as guard of the palace.
Fourth line, "kogakurete nomi": "only hidden among the trees," expressing one who serves from the shadows without leave to ascend. "Nomi" is restrictive.
Fifth line, "tsuki o miru kana": the "moon" stands for the emperor and "kana" is exclamatory, "how I gaze upon the emperor from the shadows."
Author: Minamoto no Yorimasa
Source: Senzai Wakashu
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