Yama no ha ni kakururu tsuki o nagamureba ware to kokoro no nishi ni iru kana

山端に隠るる月を眺むれば
我と心の西に入るかな

Roma-ji: Yama no ha ni kakururu tsuki o nagamureba ware to kokoro no nishi ni iru kana
English Translation: As I watch the moon
hiding itself behind the
mountain's rim, my heart
of its own accord goes down
into the west as well.
Meaning: As I watch the moon sinking behind the rim of the mountains, my heart of its own accord goes into the west.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 870

Headnote: "On seeing the moon and thinking of the west"
The topic is seeing the moon and thinking of the Western Paradise. As I watch the moon sink behind the mountains, my heart goes of its own accord into the west along with it, the poet says, laying his wish for rebirth in paradise over the setting moon.

First line, “yama no ha ni”: behind the rim of the mountains, the character read as yama no ha.
Second line, “kakururu tsuki o”: the moon going into hiding, answering 'seeing the moon.'
Third line, “nagamureba”: as I gaze.
Fourth line, “ware to kokoro no”: ware to is of itself.
Fifth line, “nishi ni iru kana”: nishi is the Western Paradise, answering 'thinking of the west'; kana is exclamatory.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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