Kimi ni ikade tsuki ni arasou hodo bakari meguriaitsutsu kage o naraben

君にいかで月に争ふほどばかり
めぐり逢ひつつ影を並べん

Roma-ji: Kimi ni ikade tsuki ni arasou hodo bakari meguriaitsutsu kage o naraben
English Translation: With you, somehow, love,
vying with the moon itself
in how often it
circles round, I would meet you,
our figures side by side.
Meaning: Somehow, as often as the moon comes round, vying with it, I would meet you again and again and stand side by side with you.
Commentary: Love Poems 629

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "The moon"
The moon circles the sky and appears again and again. The poet wishes he could meet his beloved as often as the moon comes round, vying with it, and stand side by side with her in its light. The circling moon is overlaid with lovers who come round to meet again.

First line, “kimi ni ikade”: ikade is somehow, by any means, answering the n of intention at the end.
Second line, “tsuki ni arasou”: vying with the moon in its circling, answering the topic.
Third line, “hodo bakari”: to that degree.
Fourth line, “meguriaitsutsu”: meguri takes up the circling of the moon: meeting again and again, tsutsu marking repetition.
Fifth line, “kage o naraben”: kage is our figures: I would set them side by side in the moonlight.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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