Kuraiyama hana o matsu koso hisashikere haru no miyako ni toshi wa heshikado - Senzai Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

位山花を待つこそ久しけれ
春のみやこに年は経しかど

Roma-ji: Kuraiyama hana o matsu koso hisashikere haru no miyako ni toshi wa heshikado
English Translation: On the Mountain of Rank
how long the wait has been
for the flowers to bloom,
though I spent many years
in the spring palace's capital
Meaning: How long I have waited for the flowers to bloom on the Mountain of Rank, though I spent many years in the capital serving the Spring Palace.
Commentary: Book Seventeen Miscellaneous Poems II 1076

Headnote: "Composed as a poem expressing my grievances when people composed poems for the Kamo Shrine poetry contest, at a time when, having served as provisional assistant master of the Crown Prince's household when Retired Emperor Takakura was crown prince, I had long remained a councilor"
He had served as provisional assistant master of the Crown Prince's household when Takakura was crown prince, and afterward had long remained a councilor without further promotion; when people composed poems for a contest at the Kamo Shrine, he composed this one as an expression of his grievances. How long the wait for flowers on the Mountain of Rank, though I spent years in the capital of the spring palace, he says. Though as one who had served the crown prince he might have expected favor, he had been left a councilor for many years, and he laments it by likening it to waiting for flowers to bloom on the Mountain of Rank.
The author, "Provisional Middle Counselor Sanemori," is Fujiwara no Sanemori. A son of the Minister of the Right Fujiwara no Kinyoshi, he rose to provisional middle counselor. He was the younger brother of Fujiwara no Sanesada and Saneie.
It shares Kuraiyama, the Mountain of Rank, with 1115 of this book, both lamenting promotion that does not come. From this poem on, poems lamenting one's misfortune continue.

First line, "kuraiyama": a famous place in Hida Province, used for promotion in rank because of its name, "Mountain of Rank." It is the same place name as "kuraiyama" in the third line of 1115 of this book.
Second line, "hana o matsu koso": likening promotion to the blooming of flowers, it speaks of waiting for that time. "Koso" is an emphatic binding particle closing with "kere" in the third line. It shares "hana o matsu" with "hana o matsu kana" in the fifth line of the preceding poem, 1075. Where the preceding poem waits for real blossoms, this one waits for promotion likened to flowers.
Third line, "hisashikere": the realis of the adjective "hisashi," closing the binding. The poem pauses here.
Fourth line, "haru no miyako ni": "miyako" is a pivot word joining "miya" of "haru no miya," the spring palace or crown prince, with "miyako," the capital, meaning he served the crown prince in the capital.
Fifth line, "toshi wa heshikado": "shika" is the realis of the past auxiliary "ki" and "do" concessive, "though I passed the years." Through inversion it returns to the third line.
Author: Fujiwara no Sanemori
Source: Senzai Wakashu
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