Irusa ni wa hirou katami mo nokorikeri kaeru yamaji no tomo wa namida ka

入るさには拾ふ形見も残りけり
帰る山路の友は涙か

Roma-ji: Irusa ni wa hirou katami mo nokorikeri kaeru yamaji no tomo wa namida ka
English Translation: Going into the hills,
there remained the keepsakes that
you had gathered up;
on the mountain path back home,
are tears your only company?
Meaning: Going into the mountains, you still had the keepsake you had gathered; on the mountain path back, is your only companion your tears?
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 807

Headnote: "When I had finished the funeral rites, gathered up what remained, gone to Kōya, and come back"
When the holy man's funeral was over and Saigyō had gathered the remains, taken them to Mount Kōya and returned, Jakuzen sent this. Going into the mountains you still had the keepsake of the gathered bones, but on the mountain path back are tears your only companion? he asks, imagining Saigyō's grief on coming back after laying his friend to rest.

First line, “irusa ni wa”: irusa is the time of going in, entering Mount Kōya.
Second line, “hirou katami mo”: the gathered keepsake, the remains.
Third line, “nokorikeri”: there remained; the poem breaks here.
Fourth line, “kaeru yamaji no”: on the mountain path back, set against irusa in the first line.
Fifth line, “tomo wa namida ka”: ka asks, is your companion only tears?
Author: Jakuzen
Source: Sankashu
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