Yuki to miete kaze ni sakura no midarureba hana no kasa kiru haru no yo no tsuki

雪と見えて風に桜の乱るれば
花のかさ着る春の夜の月

Roma-ji: Yuki to miete kaze ni sakura no midarureba hana no kasa kiru haru no yo no tsuki
English Translation: Looking just like snow,
in the wind the cherries whirl,
scattering about,
and wears a hat of blossoms,
the moon on a night in spring.
Meaning: The cherry blossoms whirl in the wind like snow, so the moon on this spring night seems to wear a hat of blossoms, a halo round its face.
Commentary: Spring Poems 126

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "When composing many poems on falling blossoms"
Through cherry petals whirling like snow in the wind, the moon on a spring night looks hazy, as though wearing a hat of blossoms.
Kasa is a pivot word for a hat and for the halo that forms around the moon, combining swirling blossoms and moon into one scene. The last line haru no yo no tsuki is the same as in 51; there haze dimmed the moon, while here the falling flowers put a halo on it.

First line, “yuki to miete”: seeming like snow, a line with an extra syllable.
Second line, “kaze ni sakura no”: the cherry blossoms, in the wind.
Third line, “midarureba”: since they whirl and scatter, giving the reason.
Fourth line, “hana no kasa kiru”: kasa is a pivot word meaning both a hat worn on the head and the halo that rings the moon.
Fifth line, “haru no yo no tsuki”: closing on a noun, the same last line as 51, showing the moon wearing its hat of blossoms.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
Prev Poem: Ko no moto ni tabine o sureba Yoshinoyama hana no fusuma o kisuru harukaze
Next Poem: Chiru hana o oshimu kokoro ya todomarite mata kon haru no tane ni naru beki