Sayuredomo kokoroyasuku zo kikiakasu kawase no chidori tomo gushitekeri

冴ゆれども心安くぞ聞き明かす
川瀬の千鳥友具してけり

Roma-ji: Sayuredomo kokoroyasuku zo kikiakasu kawase no chidori tomo gushitekeri
English Translation: Though the night is cold,
with a quiet heart I listen
till the break of day:
the plovers in the river shallows
have their friends there with them.
Meaning: Though the night is bitterly cold, I listen with a peaceful heart until dawn; the plovers in the river shallows, I find, have their companions with them.
Commentary: Winter Poems 551

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Plovers"
This is the fourth of five poems on plovers. The night is cold, but the poet listens to the plovers in the river shallows all night with a peaceful heart, having found that they are not alone but with companions. His own heart is eased by the plovers keeping company with one another.
Where the preceding poem told of plovers on the seashore crying as though they knew the bitterness of the inlet wind, this one tells of plovers in the river shallows with companions, so loneliness and ease, sea and river, form a pair.

First line, “sayuredomo”: sayu is to be cold, and domo is concessive, though it is cold.
Second line, “kokoroyasuku zo”: kokoroyasushi is to be at ease, and zo is an emphatic particle binding with the attributive akasu in the third line.
Third line, “kikiakasu”: kikiakasu is to listen all night until dawn; the poem breaks after the third line.
Fourth line, “kawase no chidori”: kawase is a river shallow, set against the plovers of the shore in the earlier poems.
Fifth line, “tomo gushitekeri”: gusu is to go together, and tekeri is perfective with exclamatory realization, closing on the reason he could listen in peace.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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