Morotomo ni nagame nagamete aki no tsuki hitori ni naran koto zo kanashiki

もろともに眺め眺めて秋の月
ひとりにならんことぞ悲しき

Roma-ji: Morotomo ni nagame nagamete aki no tsuki hitori ni naran koto zo kanashiki
English Translation: Together we gazed,
and gazed again, at the moon
in the autumn sky;
that I will be left alone
is what fills me with sorrow.
Meaning: The autumn moon that we have gazed at together so many times, how sad that I will now be left to watch it alone.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 778

Headnote: "When a holy man who was my companion in practice fell gravely ill, the moon was bright and moving, and I composed this"
When the holy man who had shared his practice fell seriously ill, the moon was bright and moving, and Saigyō composed this. The holy man is taken to be Saijū, long Saigyō's companion. The autumn moon we have gazed at together so often, from now on I must watch alone, and that is sad, he says, grieving in foresight of his friend's death.
The poem is included among the laments of the Shinkokinshū.

First line, “morotomo ni”: together, the days spent with the holy man.
Second line, “nagame nagamete”: gazing again and again, the doubled verb showing repetition.
Third line, “aki no tsuki”: the moon they watched together, taking up the bright moon of the headnote.
Fourth line, “hitori ni naran”: I shall be alone, set against 'morotomo ni' in the first line.
Fifth line, “koto zo kanashiki”: zo is answered by the attributive kanashiki; that is what is sad.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
Prev Poem: Hakanakute suginishi kata o omou ni mo ima mo sa koso wa asagao no tsuyu
Next Poem: Tazunu tomo kaze no tsute ni mo kikaji kashi hana to chirinishi kimi ga yukue o