Karehatsuru kaya ga uwaba ni furu yuki wa sara ni obana no kokochi koso sure

枯れ果つる萱が上葉に降る雪は
さらに尾花の心地こそすれ

Roma-ji: Karehatsuru kaya ga uwaba ni furu yuki wa sara ni obana no kokochi koso sure
English Translation: On the topmost leaves
of the reeds now wholly withered
the snow that falls there
seems as though the silver plumes
had come into bloom once more.
Meaning: The snow falling on the upper leaves of the reeds, withered through and through, makes it seem as if the silver plumes of pampas grass had bloomed once again.
Commentary: Winter Poems 528

Headnote: "On snow fallen on a withered moor"
The headnote tells us this was composed on seeing snow fallen on a withered moor. When snow settles on the upper leaves of the thatching grass, withered through and through, its whiteness looks as though the plumes of autumn pampas grass had come out once more. The snow on the withered moor is likened to the plumes of autumn grass.
Poems 540 and 541 in this book also end with kokochi koso sure and liken snow to something else, so the device of seeing snow as other things recurs in this book.

First line, “karehatsuru”: karehatsu is to wither completely.
Second line, “kaya ga uwaba ni”: kaya is a general name for grasses used for thatching, and uwaba are the upper leaves.
Third line, “furu yuki wa”: the snow that falls.
Fourth line, “sara ni obana no”: sara ni means anew, once more, and obana are the plumes of pampas grass.
Fifth line, “kokochi koso sure”: koso is an emphatic particle binding with the perfective sure, it feels so.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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