Waga yado wa yama no anata ni aru mono o nani ni ukiyo o shiranu kokoro zo

我が宿は山のあなたにあるものを
何に憂き世を知らぬ心ぞ

Roma-ji: Waga yado wa yama no anata ni aru mono o nani ni ukiyo o shiranu kokoro zo
English Translation: Beyond the mountains
is the place where I should dwell,
and yet for what cause
is it blind to this sad world,
this heart that still holds me here?
Meaning: My true dwelling lies beyond the mountains, and yet why is this heart of mine still blind to the sorrows of this weary world?
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 716

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Miscellany"
The place where the poet should dwell lies beyond the mountains, far from the world, so why does his heart fail to grasp the sorrows of this weary world and linger in it? He questions his own heart, torn between the wish to withdraw and a mind that cannot let go.

First line, “waga yado wa”: my dwelling, the place where I ought to live.
Second line, “yama no anata ni”: anata is the far side, beyond the mountains.
Third line, “aru mono o”: mono o is concessive, and yet it is there.
Fourth line, “nani ni ukiyo o”: nani ni asks why.
Fifth line, “shiranu kokoro zo”: zo is emphatic; a heart that does not know, the poet presses himself.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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